


Winter Shadow

by Lone_Wolf_Fanfics



Series: Supernatural/Marvel Crossovers [7]
Category: Captain America (Comics), Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Supernatural, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Avengers Family, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Character Death, Disabled Character, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Feelings, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Hurt James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Hydra (Marvel), James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark Friendship, Minor Wanda Maximoff/Vision, Modern Assassins, Multi, Porn, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Post-HYDRA Reveal, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Dean Winchester, Reunions, Reunited and It Feels So Good, Scared Peter Parker, Sex, Sexual Content, Smut, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Vampire Bites, Vampire Sex, Vampire cyborg, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-28
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2019-09-01 21:13:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 105,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16773025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lone_Wolf_Fanfics/pseuds/Lone_Wolf_Fanfics
Summary: Katherine Barnes is trying to outrun her Hydra past. And so far....it's working.Dean Winchester is drawn to the dark, brooding and mysterious woman that saved his life.Tony Stark feels safe and protected around the broken woman that comes through his doors.





	1. Katherine Barnes

Real Name: Katherine Barnes

Nickname: Kat (Bucky & Steve) Kitty. Kitty-Kat (Bucky)

Main Alias': Katherine Pierce. Katerina Petrova.

Other Alias': Elena Gilbert. Rosabella Bulut. Lori Lord. Candace Kelmeckis. Vicki Summers. Becky Clearidge. Frannie McKenzie. Mia Jones. Justine Dysert. Jessica Carpenter. Loren Hansett. Ally Shepherd. Grace Dahl. Mia Jones.

Titles: The Myth, The Legend, The Baddest Bitch of All. The Winter Soldier. Winter Soldier. The Only Female Winter Soldier. Immortal Soldier. Hydra's Most Dangerous Weapon.

Species: Vampire (Cyborg)

Citizenship:

American

Soviet (formerly, brainwashed)

Gender: Female

Age: 101 (biologically 30)

Date of Birth: March 10, 1917

Family:

George Barnes (Father) - deceased

Winifred Barnes (Mother) - deceased

James Buchanan Barnes (Triplet Brother)

Elena Barnes (Triplet Sister/Identical Twin)

Rebecca Barnes (Younger Sister) - deceased

Steve Rogers (Best friend)

History:

Katherine was born the second eldest child of George and Winifred Barnes. The younger sister of James and older sister of Rebecca.

After the death of her brother and the MIA notice of her best friend, Katherine ghosted through the next two years, alone.

In 1947 Katherine was in a car accident, which crushed the right side of her body and left her fighting for her life.

After six months of Katherine being in a coma Hydra took over her care, using what they had of Zola's research they enhanced her, healed her, unfortunately they couldn't save the lower right of her arm and her right leg which Hydra replaced with prosthetics.

They brainwashed her, removing all the memories of her former life from her.

In 2012 Katherine's memories started to return, she escaped Hydra.

Since her escape from Hydra she's been travelling around the US keeping to herself and trying not to draw attention to herself as her memories return.

Personality:

In her early life, Katherine was a young and beautiful girl and quite capable of making independent and intelligent choices. Katherine was a caring and polite person. She was quick to adapt to changes and enjoyed socializing and playing games with others. Katherine was also known to fall quick for men and yearned to be in the affections of others, even declaring to Steve that life was not worth living if they did not believe in love. After her training and 'turning' at the hands of Hydra, Katherine became calculating and cold, she also has an extremely well-developed sense of self-preservation, almost always at the expense of any compassion or remorse. Katherine's extremely heightened sense of self-preservation has helped her develop a knack for creating elaborate plans and deceptions. Even when she takes a risk, which must be well worth it, she proceeds with caution and a means of escape in place. Katherine has always been tough, feisty, independent and smart. If a task needs doing, she'll find a way to accomplish it, usually through a combination of uncompromising will and skilled manipulation of people and circumstances. Her personal motto - "Better you die than I" - does well to encapsulate her instinct for self-preservation as well as the detached cruelty which many assassins choose to adopt. But in her private moments, there is yet a glimpse of the girl who once said that life is too cruel to live without love.

Powers and Abilities:

Powers:

The supernatural forces that sustain vampires also endow them with superhuman physical abilities as well as powers of mind control. Their physical abilities such as strength, speed, agility, durability, healing and senses all grow stronger with age and experience. Vampires who feed on animal blood will not be as powerful as those who feed on human blood. Human blood is also known to increase the speed of healing when ingested by a vampire after being seriously wounded.

Bionic Forearm: HYDRA also removed the remnants of her severed right forearm and replaced the missing limb with a cybernetic one. The bionic arm gives her extraordinary superhuman strength superior.

Bionic Leg: HYDRA also removed the remnants of her severed right leg and replaced the missing limb with a cybernetic one. The bionic leg gives her extraordinarily superhuman strength.

Enhanced Beauty: Katherine possesses a level of grace, physical beauty, sense of style and social poise above that commonly found in humans.

Super Strength: Vampires are noticeably much stronger than Supernatural Hunters, Immortals and Humans and slowly grow stronger as they grow older. They always have the advantage of superior strength in direct combat with a human. Even new vampires who are still in transition can toss an average-size, fully-grown human across a room with great speed and force. Their other feats include single-handedly lifting grown men high off the ground by the throat and snapping their necks, cutting off a person's head with their bare hands, and ripping out internal organs such as hearts with little to no effort. Their strength allows them to jump higher and further than any natural creature. Vampires who feed on humans are stronger than those who feed on animal blood.

Super Speed: Vampires are much faster than supernatural hunters, immortals, humans, and werewolves in human form. Vampires can accelerate their movements to cover short distances in an instant, usually faster than the human eye can see. When running across long distances, they appear as vibrating blurs of motion allowing them to appear or vanish quickly and quietly. Their reflexes and dexterity are similarly heightened, allowing them to catch certain projectiles such as arrows and thrown stakes in the air with ease. Like their strength, their speed also increases with age.

Super Agility: Vampires possess super-human agility. They have shown that they can move quickly, jump very high, climb, and run incredibly fast without difficulty or exhaustion. Vampires can jump with their super speed too. Vampires that feed on human blood can jump much higher than vampires that feed on animal blood. This ability also increases with age.

Super Senses: Vampires have extremely keen senses of hearing, sight, smell, and taste that far exceed those of humans and werewolves. They can hear whispered conversations, even ones in far of buildings and on phones, though most vampires typically learn how to tune out most ambient noises when it's not necessary to hear them—Josh, a newborn vampire, explained that vampires can turn their enhanced hearing off, which explains why they can occasionally miss auditory warnings (such as the footsteps of approaching enemies) when they're paying attention to other things. Vampires can also smell blood from several meters away, and see in total darkness. These senses improve and grow stronger with age and experience. Their senses of taste are also enhanced as well, allowing them to detect the presence of drugs, alcohol, or vervain in someone's blood.

Super Durability: Vampires can take a great amount of physical damage without being slowed down. Even vampires who have been shot with wooden bullets, which have a weakening effect on vampires, have been seen to continue fighting so long as they were not shot in the heart or the head. Vampires still react to physical force in a human manner, particularly young vampires, who will occasionally be affected even by human-strength-level force. Vampires can also still be stunned and dazed by strikes and trauma, though their tolerance for it will increase as they get older.

Healing Factor: Vampires recover tissue from any form of physical damage to their bodies within seconds, though they still feel the pain of a wound before it heals. Vampires can snap their bones back into place after they have been broken and have been seen to fully recover from gunshots, stab wounds, and torso impalement very quickly, so long as they had consumed a regular diet of human blood prior to the injury. Those vampires who feed on animals will still heal much faster than a human, but their injuries, especially severe ones, will take much longer to heal than a vampire who feeds on human blood. Vampires cannot grow back body parts.

Immortality: A vampire stops aging once turned. Upon their transformation, vampires become immune to all conventional illness, diseases, viruses and infections. While vampires who were cancer-free as humans will be immune to cancer after they are turned, those humans who were turned while they had cancer will not only still have it as a vampire, but their newly-enhanced healing factor will accelerate the progression of the cancer cells over two-fold, nearly always causing the cancer-stricken vampire to kill themselves to end their suffering.

Enhanced Emotions: Vampires experience emotions more powerfully than humans. Emotions like love, joy, and happiness are magnified for vampires, allowing them to live life more intensely. This ability allows vampires to feel emotions at their peak regardless of their age. Original vampires have been shown experiencing emotions as powerfully today as they did 1,000 years ago. Conversely, sadness, depression, guilt, fear and anger are also amplified, causing many vampires to become so overwhelmed that they "turn off" their humanity to block out the more painful emotions. After time and practice, the overwhelming sensations of heightened emotions fade as the vampire learns to overcome their emotions without turning off their humanity all together.

Emotional Control: Vampires have the supernatural ability to remove or dull their emotions by "turning off" or "switching off" their humanity, which is directly connected to their emotions. Doing so allows them to block out their more negative emotions, such as fear and guilt, allowing them to feed and kill without remorse, go against any opponent without fear, and relieve themselves of painful feelings such as grief, loss, depression, and shame. A vampire without their emotions is far more calculating and direct than one who keeps them on. However, the vampire can become a remorseless killer, and are almost unrecognizable from the person they truly are, as blocking out negative emotions also causes their positive emotions to become dulled or nonexistent as well. Vampires are capable of turning their humanity back on and bringing back their emotions, but it is difficult as a result of the fact that they will be bombarded with all of their repressed emotions in addition to the guilt of anything they did without their humanity (such as killing or torturing innocent people or loved ones) with enhanced intensity. This ability fades with time and vampires who are over 500 years old have said that they have lost the ability to turn off their humanity altogether.

Mind Compulsion: Vampires have the ability to influence and control thoughts, emotions, and behavior and can alter or erase memories. There is a sort of hierarchy as to how this ability works. Original Vampires can compel Humans, Doppelgängers, untriggered Werewolves, regular Vampires, and werewolf-vampire Hybrids. Regular vampires, as weaker forms of their Original progenitors, cannot compel hybrids or other vampires, though they can compel the other aforementioned species. However, no vampire can compel a witch or a Siphoner, a triggered werewolf, or a Supernatural Hunter of the Five, and Original vampires cannot compel other Originals.

Sire Bond: Although rare among them, sire bonds can be formed when a human is turned with the blood of the vampire for whom they had strong romantic feelings before they were turned. Those vampires or hybrids with a sire bond are supernaturally loyal to their sires to the point that they will go out of their way to do whatever their sire asks them to do, even if they don't actually want to do it. However, this bond doesn't affect how they truly feel about their sire, it only affects their behavior.

Telepathy: Vampires have a limited form of telepathy that allows them to easily enter the minds of humans, and with more effort, the minds of witches, werewolves, doppelgängers. Like their physical attributes, a vampire's mental strength increases with age, making it difficult for a vampire to invade the mind of an ancient vampire such as one of the Originals unless they are of similar age.

Dream Manipulation: Vampires can also use their power of telepathy to control dreams and the subconscious. This is an aspect of telepathy that is much easier to learn, and with it, a vampire has the ability to produce and modify dreams, bestow nightmares and lucid dreaming, distort people's perception of reality and trap someone in their dreams. Vampires can manipulate and enter the subconscious of other vampires and even an Original vampire if they are vulnerable enough. However, this is a learned skill that requires practice to achieve.

Illusions: Vampires have the power to trick the minds of other younger vampires into seeing/feeling things that aren't actually happening.

True Face: A vampire's true face is the appearance they are hiding under their normal human face. When a vampire's true face is revealed, the sclera of their eyes turns blood-red, dark veins appear under their eyes as the blood pumps forcefully through them, and their canine teeth extend into razor-sharp fangs. A vampire's true face can be revealed whenever they wish, but it will appear against their will whenever they are aroused by the scent of blood, or are feeling intense emotions such as fear, anger, lust, sadness, etc. A vampire's fangs are extremely sharp which gives them the ability to tear into almost any substance (including and especially flesh) and tear off limbs. A vampire's true face will appear for the first time either while they drink human blood for the first time or shortly afterward. With the fangs come the darkened veins under the eyes as well.

Abilities:

Master Martial Artist: Katherine is an extremely skilled and formidable martial artist and hand-to-hand combatant, excelling at improvisation and weapons handling. She employs a mixed martial arts that include elements of Kali knife fighting, Boxing, Taekwondo, and Krav Maga.

Knife Mastery: Katherine excels in knife fighting with an emphasis in Kali knife fighting. She usually resorts to her combat knife in close quarters combat. She usually holds the knife in his natural hand and uses her bionic arm for support should she need more force to overpower a downward stab or toss it between hands to advance her assault.

Master Marksman: Katherine is highly proficient in handling firearms with remarkable precision.

Master Assassin: Katherine is a master assassin.

Master Acrobat: Due to her extraordinarily enhanced agility and reflexes, Katherine has shown immense capability in using flips to evade fire.

Expert Pilot: Katherine is a capable pilot.

Multilingualism: Katherine speaks her native English, as well as fluent Romanian and seasoned Russian (albeit with a thick accent). It is shown that she can also understand (and possibly speak) German. She most likely is able to speak and understand a multitude of other languages as well.

Pairing:

Tony Stark & Dean Winchester


	2. Chapter One

Katherine Barnes often dreams in flashing lights, sirens, screaming and pain. It's dark, raining, and she is in pain. Laying in a road on her back, people around her, shouting, sirens blaring and flashing lights blinding her. She has no idea why she dreams of these things. But most nights it is this one nightmare. Sometimes it's others, but they are all full of hurt, pain, blood, screaming. A nightmare of pain. And tonight is no different. Katherine wakes with a gasp, sitting up and pulling her right arm to her chest. A pain erupting through her forearm, she hunches over it and clenches her fingers into a fist. The pain isn't real, she knows that, but it doesn't stop her from feeling it. And there is one sure way that she can get it to stop. She grabs the knife from under her pack cushion and stabs it into her arm, she stares at it as the imaginary pain disappears, she nods and pulls the blade back out, flips it in her human hand and slides it back into her pack. She pushes her sleeve up her arm to reveal a metal forearm, the bottom half of her arm below her elbow had been crushed beyond repair and had to be replaced, it sucks but....it's better then only having one arm and not being able to do anything. She scoots back a little till her back is pressed to the wall behind her, hangs her head and breaths deeply. Her life is just so screwed up. She lives in an abandoned warehouse, sleeps in a sleeping bag using her one bag of belongs as a pillow. This is her life. She stands and walks towards the broken window across from her, peers outside at the docks below. So empty and dark and abandoned. Katherine closes her eyes and takes a deep breath before turning back to her pack, she crouches and pulls out the journal she's been using to note the memories that come back to her. Slowly over the last six years flickers and images from her past have been returning. Mostly when she dreams or when she lets her mind wander which recently is a lot, she's alone all the time, so...a lot of free time to reminiscence on missing memories. She knows she was born at some point at the beginning of the last century, she knows she should be dead, many times over dead, she knows that what happened to her arm and her leg was bad and she suffered greatly because of it, she knows Hydra are bad and evil and messed with her to the point she's not even sure she's human any more and she knows she did a lot of bad things. There are flickers of people and faces and voices but she doesn't know names, places or the order in which her memories should be remembered. She sighs and sits back down on the sleeping bag opening her journal up.

….................

Katherine decides to warm up in a dive bar the next day, sat in a booth, in the darkest corner she can find and huddles up, crossing one leg over the other, her human fingers curling around a glass of whiskey in front of her. It's quiet in the bar, either down to the time of day or the secluded nature of the town she's in, either way she likes it. Less people to recognise her. Though she is pretty sure that is her paranoia speaking. And her self-preservation, everything and everyone around her is a potential threat, one word, one little word to the wrong person and Hydra have her again. She already spent 65 years at their mercy she really doesn't want to spend a moment more. She looks around the bar, it's pretty empty, excluding Katherine, there are four loners, a pair of women at the bar and a couple across the other side making out in another booth plus the bartender, of course. Katherine is used to the quiet local dive bars, she prefers them, prefers the quiet. The bar door opens and two men laughing enter, Katherine glances to them from under her baseball cap. She takes a breath and stiffens. The scent of blood wafting through that air and to where she sits. Katherine stands and grabs her bag from the booth and turns to leave, keeping her face hidden as the veins creep up under her eyes. An unfortunate side effect of her treatment at the hands of Hydra. They turned her into a monster in more ways then one. She pushes out the back door into the alley and takes a deep breath of the blood free air, she leans against the wall and then pushes herself off, heading down the alley towards the street, pulling her bag onto her back.

....................

Katherine ends up curled up in a stoop, a store front, her jacket pulled around her tightly, and her knees pulled to her chest. No where abandoned for her to sleep this night. Just another night on the streets. In the dark. And the cold. She pulls her jacket closer and rests her head back against the wall. She sighs a little and tries to block out the sounds of the night, considering there are fewer people around there is still a noise, a constant buzzing and with sensitive hearing it doesn't help. There are the sounds of a fight from an alley three streets away which catches her attention, something so familiar about it. Katherine stands and follows the voices sticking close to the shadows.

…..................

Katherine pauses at the entry to an alley and peers around the corner to look down it, it's dark but she has enhanced sight on her side, she makes out three guys fighting one, he at least is a human, the other's she can't tell, their scents are not something she's smelt before. One throws a punch at the human who falls to his knees, they've been at this a while going off of the blood on his face. Veins creep up Katherine's face and her fangs descend in her mouth. She should walk away and let it runs it's course. If the human dies then the human dies. To interfere would draw attention to herself and she doesn't draw attention to herself. But someone innocent is getting hurt. She sighs and closes her eyes before deciding. Katherine vamp-speeds over to the fight and snaps the neck of the first guy whaling on the human on the ground, she turns and thrusts her hand into the second guys chest ripping his heart out. Before the third finishes turning to her, she cocks her head as they both fall to the ground. He lunges at Katherine who just side steps him and rips his heart out from behind, he drops to his knees and then face first revealing the shocked human still on the ground, staring up at her, she stares right back, her eyes peering back from within her scarf, hood and baseball cap. She looks down at the bodies and then closes her eyes regretful.

“No” she whispers stepping back opening her eyes to look at the blood on her glove. The human tries to push himself up.

“Hey” he states trying to get her attention as another human runs around the corner.

“Dean!” he shouts, Katherine snaps her head up and around as he pulls a gun, she cocks her head.

“Wait!” 'Dean' shouts holding out a hand to the other one, meaning for him to stop, he slows, wary but is clearly following the lead of the other human, this Dean. Katherine looks between them, wary, she knew stepping in was a mistake the second she'd done it. “It's okay, sweetheart” 'Dean' tries to coo at Katherine but her paranoid brainwashed mind is kicking in and she needs to run. So she does. At vamp-speed. She disappears from the alley in a blur.

....................

Katherine is tense for the next week, more paranoid, more alert, she doesn't sleep, barely eats, she's too alert, too alarmed. Those men could find her. They could be working for Hydra. They could try to kill her. Or worse drag her back to Hydra. At this stage in her life dying is preferable to going back to those....monsters who broke her, who tore her apart, took everything that was her...and destroyed it before building up something else. Something hideous. And dangerous. She looks to the bartender who sets a fresh scotch and lemon on the table in front of Katherine, taking the empty glass away, she's got no money, but she does have her gift of 'mind control', a gift Hydra made use of, her ability to make people do what she wants, since she left Hydra she only uses it when she has to, for food, shelter, a warming drink and even then she hates to use it. She's taking away people's free will, and she knows what that's like. She reaches for her glass and sighs stirring the tiny straw around in it.

“Hello, again” the human states and slips into the booth across from Katherine who goes to stand, the other taller human grabs her shoulders and shoves her back into her seat, she looks up at him and then back to the other. “I'm Dean Winchester, and this is my brother Sam” Dean motions to Sam. “We're going to have a drink and a little chat....” Dean and Sam share a look, Sam walks away and towards the bar. Katherine watches him go. “You're a pretty hard woman to track” Dean tells her, she turns her head to him.

“That's so people won't find me” she responds coldly, she cocks her head. “How did you even find me?” she asks amazed, a little in awe, she's very good at disappearing, so for these two humans to find her is an impressive feat. And she's on that line of being impresses and annoyed.

“There weren't that many people in that bar that day, and even in all the layers; you were the hottest thing in there..so” Dean answers. “I called them, said you'd been in there the last three days but before that they'd never seen you” Dean pulls something out of his jacket. “You also left in such a hurry, you forgot this” he sets her journal on the table, Katherine purses her lips. “Don't worry” he teases. “I don't read Russian” he slides it towards her. “But the pictures....the maps, you were following a pattern” she lifts her eyes to his. “You've been hugging the New York State line” he offers with a smirk opening the journal. “See..” he flicks through the map sketches. “You've been travelling it for what? Five years? Never visiting a town twice. That makes it easier to figure out where you could go” he pushes her journal to her, she snatches it off of the table. She slides it into her bag. “Why did you save me?” Dean inquires, Katherine runs her human fingers around the rim of her glass, her metal hand hidden in her lap. “I'm a hunter and you are.....some kind of monster, definitely something supernatural, life would have been so much easier for you with one less hunter in the world”

“Why wouldn't I save you?” she asks quietly, tilting her head to look out from under her hat. He frowns at her. Sam sets two beers on the table and Katherine jumps a little, the mechanics of her arm and leg whirling, her fingers curling around her gun on her thigh. She relaxes only a little when she sees no immediate danger. Dean and Sam share a look, Sam slips into the seat next to Katherine, boxing her in. She scoots further away, closer to the wall, trapping her bag between her body and the wallpaper. “Are you going to try and kill me?” she asks quietly.

“Sweetheart, there would be no try” Dean teases, Katherine lifts her eyes to his.

“Hmm” she doubts stirring her drink. The door to the bar opens and Katherine snaps her head around to look, Dean and Sam share another look. Dean cocks his head.

“You're running from someone” Dean points out. “Who?”

“Someone worse then you” she counters turning back.

“And how can you know how bad we are?” Dean asks, Katherine cocks her head.

“I can smell it on you both....death follows you around like a dark passenger” Katherine answers and glances to Sam and then Dean. “Clings to every aspect of your life, you can't escape it....but I've known worse”

“Look...” Dean sighs. “You saved my life, and I don't like to owe monsters...so...tell me what you want”

“From you?” she asks. “Nothing” she answers her own question.

“You saved me for a reason” Dean counters.

“My humanity kicked in” she admits. “A moment of weakness that I have since come to regret” Dean stares into her eyes, there is a hint of amusement in there but a lot more hostility. Her patience is wearing thin. And given that they don't know what she is, they have no real way of stopping her. It's best they do their research.

“Sam” Dean states motioning to the door, Sam stands as Dean does. “We'll be seeing you around” Dean tells her.

“I doubt it” she corrects, Dean looks to her as he straightens his jacket.

“We'll see about that, Sweetheart” he teases and then leaves with Sam. Katherine leans back in her seat and finishes her drink before grabbing her bag and standing. Now she's hungry.

….................

Katherine's not going to hook a target dressed all in black and covered head to toe, she purses her lips and pulls down her hood and pulls of her baseball cap, she knows she's risking exposure but if she can't eat....she shakes out her hair and stuffs the cap into her rucksack before unzipping her coat and adding it, the hoodie is next leaving her in a tight fitting red sweater. Her scarf, left glove and gun are the last things into the bag, leaving her feeling bare. The gun is a safety blanket, given what she is, it's actually not needed. She stands and takes a breath looking around for a place to stash her bag. Not many places to hide it but...for now. Her eyes catch a fire escape above her and she looks to her bag before swapping it to her metal arm and throwing the bag up onto the fire escape, she nods a little and then walks away.

…................

Katherine leans seductively against a wall across from a nightclub, she has no taste for drunks but they are an easy target. With those two hunters in town she doesn't want to risk an incident.

…...........

Dean and Sam watch from their impala parked down the street. Dean had no idea what to expect beneath the girl's hood, cap and scarf but he is pretty sure that this is not even close. She's actually attractive, he figured she was hiding her face cause she was fugly. The body is hot enough even with the layers but now she's hot all over. Why are monsters always hot? Dean thinks watching her crosses her arms over her chest and prop her foot up against the wall behind her.

“Whoa” Dean breaths. “She's actually.....hot” Sam shoots him a look, Dean smirks back. “What?” he asks. “She is” Sam looks back out the window at Katherine.

…............

Katherine watches as a man stumbles out of the club. Alone. Staggering. Perfect. He looks up and across at Katherine who smiles at him waving her flesh fingers at him, he smiles back. Baited. She turns her hand and changes her fingers from a wave to a come hither motion, her smile and eyes drawing him in, even from across the street.

….............

“Check it out” Sam tells Dean, the two brothers leaning forward to watch the drunk crosses the street to meet Katherine who places her hand on his arm and smiles at him, flashing her perfect white teeth at him.

“She could know him” Dean points out.

“The woman that's not made a single personal connection in five years?” Sam asks, Dean makes a face and nods.

“Alright.....” Dean leans up. “Oh Sweetheart, you're a naughty girl” Dean teases watching her pull the drunk into an ally. “Dirty girl” Sam shoots him a look. “We should go after her, right?” Dean asks, Sam nods.

“Yeah” they both grab their guns and jump out of the car.

…............

Sam and Dean hold their guns at their side heading towards the alley, both ducking out of sight as Katherine leaves and heads up the street away from them, the two brothers share a look and hurry into the alley. The drunk is propped up against the wall on the ground, Sam rushes to him and crouches checking for a pulse.

“Anything?” Dean asks.

“He's alive” Sam answers and then gets out his torch to check the drunk for wounds. “No wounds....” he touches the guys jacket and frowns shining the torch over it. “Blood...” he looks to Dean. “Maybe it's hers”

“There's no wound at all?” Dean asks, Sam shakes his head checking again, there is no blood coming from the drunk anywhere.

“Nothing.....” Sam looks to Dean. “Are we sure she's...”

“She ripped two guys hearts out with her bare hands and disappeared in front of us” Dean points out. “She's not human. Call 911 for him...I'm gonna follow her” Dean hurries out the alley leaving Sam alone with the drunk. Sam sighs.

“Dude” he complains pulling out his cell phone.

.......

Dean pauses and looks around, he's lost her, he was sure he had the right path. He sets his gun away and sighs shaking his head. She's a mystery. And he hates owing favours to monsters. It'll come back to bite him in the ass he knows it will, so he'd rather find out why she saved, and then not do it.

“You're not very good at the stealth stuff are you?” Dean snaps his head up to Katherine sat on the fire escape above him. She leans her arms on the railing and raises an eyebrow at him. “Is there a reason you're following me?” she asks standing and grabbing her bag from where she'd hidden it.

“What did you do to him?” Dean asks reaching for his gun again. “To the drunk in the alley?”

“Nothing” she answers, lies, he watches her. “He's alive, isn't he?” she asks cocking her head.

“Yeah” Dean answers.

“Then why are you following me?” she asks again.

“Will you come down here?” he asks her back.

“I rather like it up here” she counters. “So no” plus she likes being out of his reach, the gun makes her nervous. And there's blood on her shirt and she's not gonna risk him seeing it. She'd fed quickly, then healed the drunk's wound, making it seem he simply passed out. Dean gives her a look and then slips his gun away, she feels a little better about it.

“How about now?” he asks, she tilts her head slightly watching him, studying him. Before she nods and climbs over the railing. “Careful, sweetheart” Dean warns, she rolls her eyes and drops off the edge of the fire escape, landing in front of him, there is a metallic whirl as she straightens. Dean nods a little impressed. “What is it you want in return?” he asks her stepping closer. She tilts her head to look up at him. “You saved my life....why?”

“What is so hard about this for you?” she asks back. “I saved you...because you were in trouble not because I want something. It does happen”

“Not in my experience” Dean counters, she sighs.

“Then what sad existence you must have” she offers sadly, drops her rucksack and reaches up with her flesh hand to ghosts it over his cheek. “Good things, do happen” she whispers to him, he looks to her, surprised, it's not the first time he's heard those words, Castiel had been the first to say it, but there is more conviction this time, like she's trying so hard to believe the words herself, almost forcing herself to believe them. “Even I believe that”

“Do you?” he counters lifting his eyes to hers from the ground.

“I'm trying to” she corrects. “Your life hasn't been easy, has it?” she asks, eluding to the fact she is shifting through his memories as they talk, she's not as good at this as she used to be and they are fuzzy, blurry, memories, so she can make out some of the details, enough to get a good idea of his life, it's dark, bloody, violent as she has suggested, death is their dark passenger. She pulls her hand away from him. “Which is why you find it hard to believe in good.....whatever you've been through....you came out the other side” he looks away from her. “You survived....that shows good things happen” he scoffs and looks back to her.

“You....” he sighs. “You don't know who I am” he points out. “Maybe my survival is a curse....maybe it would have been better if I had died a long time ago” he admits. “How can you believe there is good in the worst of the world?”

“I have to” she states. “This world can't be as bad as I have experienced, I have to believe there is still some good in it, even if I haven't found it yet”

“How do you do it?” he asks quietly.

“With great difficulty” she admits. “And a lot of whiskey” he snorts a laugh. “It's not easy to be good” she offers. “Not when there is darkness within fighting to get out” she shrugs. “Telling you to do one thing, whilst your humanity is telling you to do another, but we do the right thing. Because at the end of the day....humanity will always win” she offers him a look. “That part of us that tells us to stop. To save instead of kill. To protect instead of condemn. It stops the monsters from taking over”

“What is that's not enough?” Dean asks. “What if humanity is not enough to save us? What if....it's too damn dark? Or maybe...we're just past saving?” she frowns at him.

“Do you truly believe that?” she asks him back. Dean's eyes flicker behind her as Sam grabs her from behind, Katherine doesn't react she just shakes her head, disappointed, she gives Dean a look and he actually feels bad. Katherine sighs. “You've both brought this on yourselves” she warns and then snaps her metal hand up to grab Sam's wrist, she tugs and twists sending him to his knees as she turns to face him, tightening her grip on his wrist. Sam cries out, Dean raises his gun again. “My list of victims is a long one, and I have no problem adding two more names to that list” she threatens Sam, staring down at him, her eyes dark, calculating, dangerous. It's a lie, she does have a problem with adding more names to her list of victims, but they don't need to know that. “Now I have been nice” she points out. “Despite the fact you two seem to have some vendetta against me” she looks to Dean. “I saved your life....and this is how you repay me. I'd hate to see how you treat your enemies....” she releases Sam's wrist and turns fully to Dean. “I honestly wanted nothing” she admits. “Except now I want you two to leave me alone.....” she shakes her head. “Goodbye” she tells them both walking away, Dean helps Sam to his feet.

“Can we have at least have a name?” Sam asks with a small smile. Katherine looks to him and smiles back sadly.

“If I knew it” she admits. “You could have it.....”

“What's that supposed to mean?” Dean asks.

“It means I don't remember it” she answers and then sighs. She supposes she can give them something. “The people that created me, they called me” she starts. “Тень” she states with a Russian accent. “It means Shadow. For now...it's all I have”

“The people that.....created you” Sam offers. “Are they who you are running from?” she nods.

“Yes...” she starts to back away. “I should be going, I've already lingered too long in this town” she looks between them both and then vamp-speeds away. Sam and Dean share a look. Sam sighs seeing Dean's expression, his determined expression, she's just made herself more mysterious and Dean hates mysteries. Especially when it comes to monsters. Which means they're not letting this go. Or her.

…...............


	3. Chapter Two

Dean presses his fingers into his head staring at the open book page in front of him, this is why Sam does the research, books give Dean a headache. They've been here for hours now trying to figure out what.....'she' is. But they barely have anything to go on. Dean groans and drops his head into the book, Sam shoots him a look.

“We could just let it go” Sam offers. Dean glances up. “We should be concentrating on the leviathans”

“Do you have any leads on them?” Dean counters, Sam sighs and shakes his head. “So...until we do....we figure this out”

“What is it with her?” Sam asks. “Why her?” Dean lifts his head and looks away.

“Honestly....I don't know” Dean admits. “It's....” he sighs. “It's....that day she saved me....I saw something in her eyes, something lost and broken....” Dean closes the book. “I saw myself” he admits.

“Dean” Sam whispers.

“I have you and I have Bobby...you help, she doesn't have anyone, what if she is the way she is because she's alone”

“Name one creature, one monster, one supernatural entity, that is good?” Sam asks.

“Cas” Dean answers, Sam nods a little and then shrugs, that's been questionable recently. “Maybe there are other things out there, that are good supernatural, maybe she is one of them....monsters don't feel broken and lost, Sam....”

“Alright” Sam agrees.

“Good, is this chick flick moment over? My skin's crawling” Dean stands and grabs his jacket.

“Where are you going?” Sam asks.

“To find a bar” Dean answers pulling the jacket on. “Call if you find anything” Dean throws over his shoulder as he leave. Sam throws up his hands.

“Yeah, I'll stay here, researching the girl you're obsessed with” Sam mumbles looking at his laptop.

…..........

Dean sits nursing a whiskey at the bar, no dive bar as he would usually pick but a college bar, he'll take it, he just wants a drink. He knows what he told Sam, about why he's looking into this girl, but....there is something more about her, she'd called him on things he's never admitted to anyone, like she looked at him and saw into his soul, and it bugs him, she doesn't know him, but somehow she knows him better then anyone. A hand sets over his glass and Dean raises an eyebrow turning to follow the arm.

“You don't want that one” Katherine tells him.

“No?” he asks, Katherine flags down the bartender as she sits at Dean's side, he takes the opportunity to look over her, gone is the baggy layers and in it's place, tight fitting leather trouser, impressive high heels, a low cut deep red shirt, a leather biker jacket and of course, a glove over her right hand. It's a better look. The bartender moves to her and she smiles at him, sweetly, overly.

“Two glasses of Black Bush” she orders, the bartender raises an eyebrow before turning to serve the order.

“What are you doing here?” Dean asks.

“You interrupted my dinner last night” she answers looking to him.

“The drunk?” he asks scoffing.

“Hmmm now I have to have a bigger lunch to compensate” the bartender sets two glasses in front of them.

“That'll be...” he starts, Katherine grabs his wrist.

“On the house” Katherine compels.

“On the house” the bartender repeats and walks away, Katherine looks to Dean who is watching her.

“How did you do that?” Dean asks.

“Womanly charms?” she counters picking up her drink and turns to face the room.

“So what you...eat people?” Dean asks grabbing his own glass.

“Basic, but...sure” she answers scanning the crowds, the only time she'll venture into a filled bar is to feed, the only time she foregoes her disguise, when she'll wear something to attract attention.

“You're not really helping your case here, sweetheart” Dean points out.

“I don't kill them” she counters. “I take what I need, and only what I need, and send them on their way” she cocks her head eyeing a pool player across the room hustling two teenagers that have clearly snuck in. “No muss, no fuss, no death” She looks to Dean. “No hunters...”

“And your victims?” Dean asks.

“Feel dizzy, might have a headache for a few days....but don't remember a thing” she answers and shrugs. “It's the best way I've found of surviving without killing” she admits and then downs her drink and sets the empty glass aside, the pool player is leaving and she's hungry. She looks to Dean. “Enjoy the drink” she tells him before walking away, Dean watches her go and then smiles.

….........

The impala is parked outside of an abandoned house, boarded up and empty. The motels in town are full with the college football game so this is the next best thing. The second they step through the door Dean is pressed up against the wall, fingers around his next, feet struggling to find purchase on the floor, Sam raises his gun.

“Hey” he shouts, raising his torch. “You?” he asks, Katherine holds Dean to the wall.

“How did you find me?” she asks, wide eyed, alarmed.

“We didn't” Dean chokes out.

“We were looking for somewhere to stay” Sam adds. “Can you put him down?” He asks, Katherine looks to Dean, as if realising what she's doing, and then drops him taking a few steps back.

“I'm sorry” she states. “I didn't mean.....”

“It's okay, sweetheart” Dean assures her. “Would have done the same” he reaches for her and she flinches away from him. Dean lowers his hand. Sam shoots Dean a look. Katherine looks away and takes a breath trying to calm her paranoia. These two have come around too much, have appeared too much for this to be coincidence.

“Look, this is the only empty place...” Sam starts, Katherine sighs and looks to him.

“Do what you want, but stay out of my way” she counters walking away, Sam and Dean share a look as Katherine heads into the basement leaving the brothers standing there.

…..............

Dean looks up as Katherine enters the kitchen, he raises an eyebrow at her.

“Sorry” she whispers and turns to leave.

“Hey” Dean calls of her, she stops, sighs and then turns to him. “You were here first” he offers grabbing his beer and standing. Katherine sighs.

“Sit down” she tells him as she moves to take one of the other chairs. Dean glances to her and then sits back down.

“So why New York?” Dean asks, Katherine raises an eyebrow at him as she sets her journal on the table.

“When I left Siberia...”

“I'm sorry, Siberia?” Dean asks. She shoots him a look.

“Yes, I was created by the Soviets”

“Oh that's brilliant” Dean snarks. “They branched out into monsters” she looks down. “Sorry” he mumbles. “No family?” Dean asks, Katherine glances to him and then shrugs.

“Maybe....once” she offers.

“So no memories what so ever?”

“I remember....everything between now...and when I was made into what I am” she answers. “But before that....my...human life...Flashes” she admits. “Faces, names but I can't....process them, can't put them together. Everything's just scrambled” she looks to her journal. “I've spent the last 5 years trying to figure out who I am....and I am no closer to knowing” she scoffs. “I can't even remember my real name” she shrugs and clenches her fist, causing a metallic whirl.

“What do you know about the old you...the human you?” he asks. “Come on, there must be something”

“Dogs” she answers. “I liked dogs....plums, the colour red....” she cocks her head. “Guess that's something” she whispers.

“It's a start” Dean offers.

“Yeah, except that's all I've gotten in five years” she counters. “Three things in five years......how long is it going to take for me to remember the rest of my life?”

“How did you loose them?” Dean asks opening a beer and setting it in front of Katherine.

“Some scientists set me a chair and scrambled my brain” She answers drawing her finger on the table.

“You remember that?” he asks, she lifts her head and frowns.

“I....guess...” she answers. “I wasn't aware I had that memory” she threads her fingers through her hair.

“So they're in there” Dean points out. “You just have to...unlock them” she shrugs and looks down.

“What if I don't like what I find?” she asks.

“That's life, sweetheart” he teases. “That's.....to be human” she lifts her eyes to his.

“But I'm not human any more” she reminds him.

“That's to be.....whatever you are” he corrects. “What are you?” he asks.

“Why would I answer that?” she asks. “It'd just give you what you need to figure out how to kill me” she argues and stands. “And despite the fact that I hate my life, I rather like living” she grabs the beer and gives him a look. “At least till I figure out who I am” she adds and then walks away. Dean looks to his bottle and taps his fingers on the edge of it.

.........

Katherine curls up on the back seat of the Impala, her backpack under her head as a pillow, she sleeps as Dean drives, Sam at his side, both quiet. Sam sighs and looks to Dean who ignores him.

“Dude” Sam complains, Dean glances to him before looking back to the road. “What are we doing?”

“What?” Dean asks.

“There's a monster sleeping on the back seat....”

“You think this is crazy?” Dean asks, Sam shoots him a bitch face. “You don't feel a little bit bad for her?”

“Well, yeah, of course I do, but she's a monster, Dean....since when are you all about helping monsters?” Sam asks. “And what is that noise?” Sam asks referring to the metal whirling noise coming from Katherine.

“Maybe she's like the Terminator” Dean teases, Sam shoots him an unamused look. “No?” Dean asks. “Did you find anything?” Dean asks glancing back at Katherine and then to the road.

“With what we know....no” Sam answers. “She could be a number of things”

“I swear there's something familiar about her” Dean mumbles.

“What do you mean?” Sam asks.

“Like I've seen her face before” Dean points out. “In a book? or....on the tv? I just can't place her”

“A book?” Sam teases, Dean shoots him a look.

“What? I read” Dean answers. “Look she has no where to go, no one to help her, isn't that what we do? Help people”

“She's not people, Dean”

“There was a time when you weren't people” Dean counters. Sam shoots him a look. “Just saying”

“So we what? Drop her off at the cabin? Under Bobby's watchful eye?”

“She wants somewhere out of the way and safe, we have somewhere....” Dean looks to Sam.

“You could have asked before you invited her along” Sam grumbles looking out the window.

“It just slipped out when we were talking” Dean admits. “She just looks so....sad and....”

“Let's hope she doesn't eat us....or Bobby” Sam complains. Dean shakes his head and goes back to concentrating on the road ahead.

…..............

Katherine holds her bag to her chest as she looks to the cabin. They're right it is out of the way, in the middle of nowhere, probably no chance of Hydra or any other government agencies finding her, but lack of food supply. There could be some deer, maybe, rabbits, birds....even rats. She learnt about the animal blood side of her diet when she'd been stuck in basement for three days, before she had the chance to steal back her necklace, the one that allows her to walk in the day light. She'd been starving and there'd been a nest of rats scurrying around and....well it wasn't pleasant but mind over matter. She was starving. Katherine's eyes trace the door frame, another side effect, invitation, she needs to be invited into a house, if the owner is living, if not she should be fine, she hopes the owner is dead, so she doesn't have to explain that to these humans. Dean pauses at the door and looks back at her.

“You coming?” he asks, she nods a little and heads to enter the house. She glances around the door nervously as Dean steps in behind Sam, she takes a breath and closes her eyes before testing the boundary, she steps into the house, home owner is dead then. She opens her eyes and looks around, it's just like a hunting cabin should be, bare, wooden furniture, dusty, damp....disgusting but safe. It'll do. She holds her bag closer to herself as an older man joins them from the back room. He raises an eye at Katherine and then looks to Sam and Dean.

“This is....Shadow” Sam introduces and then looks to Katherine. “This is Bobby, he'll be your room mate” Bobby shoots Sam a look and then approaches Katherine, she takes a few steps back, Bobby stops. Dean was easy to win around, she's attractive and he likes beautiful women, and she used that to get him on side, Sam is sceptic but in the end will listen to his brother, but Bobby, is new and she doesn't know yet how to persuade him that she's not a monster that deserves to die. Bobby holds up his hands in surrender.

“No need for panic” he offers. “It's nice to meet you” Bobby offers, Katherine nods a little and looks to Dean who nods at her. “I set the back room up for her” Bobby tells the brothers. “You said something about a unique dietary requirement”

“Blood” Katherine points out. “Doesn't have to be human, animal works just as well....and whiskey” Bobby looks to Dean and points to his teeth.

“Yeah, no fangs” Dean answers. “I checked” Katherine bites the inside of her lip to stop her from smirking.

“There are deer in this woods?” Katherine asks looking out the window. “Rabbits?”

“Rabbits, definitely” Bobby answers. “Deer, possibly”

“Then that's what I'll hunt” she offers looking back to the room.

....................

Bobby watches as Katherine closes the door to the back room before he turns to Dean and Sam.

“It was his idea” Sam points to Dean who shoots him a look back.

“Bringing a monster home?” Bobby asks. “I thought you knew better”

“Look, she's different” Dean argues. “I don't think she's like the other monsters we've met”

“Pretty girl bats her eyelashes and you're all over it” Bobby points out. Dean sighs. “She seems nice enough now, whilst we have something she wants....a roof over her head, blood in our bodies”

“She's not going to eat us” Dean argues.

“Not you two, chances are she'll wait till you've both left and I'm the one that's going to get eaten” Bobby points out walking to the kitchen.

…...............

Dean leans in the doorway to the back room watching Katherine who sits in an arm chair by the window.

“I heard” Katherine states looking out the window. “For what it's worth, I'm not going to eat you” she looks to Dean. “And we would have gone our separate ways, but you mentioned a cabin, out in the middle of nowhere.....and I latched onto the idea of somewhere safe. No one's offered me that before....and I probably have told you more then I would have to any other stranger, but when kindness has been so.....rare in ones life, turns out I latched onto it rather quick” she looks back out the window. “Being what I am....I have never known kindness” she admits. “From anyone...not even my creators.....” Dean shuts the door and moves to sit on the bed. “I was designed to be a weapon....I have tried to be otherwise” she glances to him. “Your friend Bobby seems like a kind man, and I will not harm him” she promises. “As long as he doesn't harm me” she adds, Dean nods and leans back onto his hands.

“Me and Sam are gonna head out in a bit” Dean tells her. She nods and pulls her flesh leg up onto the chair to her chest, an arm wrapping around it. “You will be safe here” he assures her.

“You're not worried about me, are you?” she asks glancing back to him. Dean smirks and shakes his head.

“No” he answers. “I have a feeling you know just how to defend yourself” he points out standing. “Just you know...look after yourself” he whispers leaving, Katherine smiles a little and looks out the window.

...........

Katherine sits staring out at the trees, there is little to do in the cabin, and she is guessing Bobby will be uncomfortable with her around him, so for now she'll stick to her 'room' and keep out of his way. Katherine glances to the door as Bobby starts humming, it's raspy and deep but actually rather soothing and familiar, she knows this song, a tingling in the back of her mind, just on the tip of her tongue. She stands and moves to the door before slipping through it, Bobby stands with his back to her cleaning out his shot gun.

“What is that?” Bobby jumps and turns to face Katherine, reaching for the gun. “I...didn't mean to startle you” she whispers. “What were you humming?” she asks keeping her distance, Bobby removes his hand from his gun.

“It's urm....it's cheek to cheek” he answers. “By Fred Astaire”

“I know it” she whispers. “It's from a movie?” she asks, Bobby nods.

“Top Hat” Bobby helps her. Katherine looks out the window, as flickers, images and sounds, memories, she smiles.

“I....went to see it, when it first came out” she offers. “With....” she pauses, she knows she went to see it with someone, two someones, she just can't place their faces or their names. “With someone...” she adds.

“In 1935?” Bobby asks sceptically, she nods and looks to him.

“I was 18” she answers. “I remember” she laughs a little. “I remember” she repeats, completely over the moon, at that one little memory, not even a full memory, but she doesn't care, she remembers something from her human life.

“How old are you?” Bobby asks, she cocks her head thinking.

“101” she answers, Bobby stares at her. “I think....”

“101?” Bobby asks, Katherine nods. “Okay” he mumbles watching her. “That's....” he frowns a little. “Wow” he looks over her and nods. “You look....fantastic for it” he offers with a small laugh, Katherine shrugs and pulls her metal arm to her chest.

“A few pieces have fallen off” she states, self-deprecatingly. “But thank you” she looks to his gun. “I'll let you get back to what you were doing...” she steps back from him. “I will....go and hunt” she turns and leaves the cabin, Bobby raises an eyebrow and moves to pick up a book from the pile on the counter.

…...............

Bobby looks up from the book in front of him as Katherine returns, hours later, the sun setting outside of the window. She glances to him and then walks into the back room shutting the door behind her. Bobby glances back to the book, open on a page titled Night Walkers. He picks up his phone and dials.

…..............

Sam closes the rear passenger-side door of the Impala. A chained Chet, leviathan, is in the back seat. Dean's on the phone to Bobby.

“Yeah, he's ready for transport. I just hope you got some place you can put him, Bobby. All right” Dean hangs up and puts a bag into the trunk. “We should hit the road. You ready?” Dean walks to the driver’s door of the Impala. Sam is standing at the passenger side.

“Hey, were you, um, were you listening to the Starks tonight?” Sam asks.

“Uh, a little, when I wasn't getting slammed into a wall or stung by bees”

“You notice how they, uh, you know, how they – how they opened up, got everything off their chest?” Sam asks.

“Yeah. Kudos on selling them that crap”

“It wasn't crap, Dean. It worked”

“Sam, I am so very, very, very, very...very, very tired....”

“Dean, like it or not, the stuff you don't talk about doesn't just go away. It builds up, like whatever's eating at you right now”

“There's always something eating at me. That's who I am. Something happens, I feel responsible, all right? The Lindbergh baby – that's on me. Unemployment – my bad”

“That's not what I'm talking about” Sam argues.

“Well, then what the hell are you talking about?”

“I'm talking about whatever you're not telling me about. Whatever the real reason is behind....Shadow. Look, Dean, it's fine. You can unload. That's kind of what I'm here for” Dean just looks at Sam. “I mean... we're good, right?”

“We're good” Dean gets into the car. Sam stands for a moment looking somewhat hurt and frustrated. They drive away.

…............

Sam is looking at the book Bobby had open on the table as Dean and Bobby head up from the basement where they'd chained up Chet.

“Bobby, what is this?” Sam asks.

“I figured out what your friend is” Bobby answers reaching Sam, Dean moves to join them. “She's a night walker” Bobby turns the book to them. “They are....magically reanimated human corpses which are inhabited by the spirits of the deceased person” Sam and Dean stare at him.

“Soooo she's possessing her own body?” Sam asks and then looks to the book, reading from it. “Night walkers feed and survive on the blood of the living, typically human, and they can also transform other humans into more of their kind by sharing their own blood with them”

“Sounds like vampires” Dean points out. “The whole blood thing”

“They are a form of vampire” Bobby admits. “Super charged vampire, but yeah”

“Super charged?” Dean asks, Bobby pulls the book back and reads from it.

“The supernatural forces that sustain Night Walkers also endow them with superhuman physical abilities as well as powers of mind control” Bobby answers. “Their physical abilities such as strength, speed, agility, durability, healing and senses all grow stronger with age and experience. Night Walkers who feed on animal blood will not be as powerful as those who feed on human blood”

“Mind control” Sam states shooting Dean a look.

“Compulsion” Bobby corrects. “Tactile telepathy, dream manipulation, illusions, we're talking some serious brain power”

“How do we kill one?” Sam asks, Dean looks to him. “Just in case she turns on us” Sam quickly adds.

“Stake to the heart” Katherine answers behind them, the three men look to her. “Decapitation, desiccation, fire, heart extraction, magic, sunlight, vervain, werewolf bite, wood” Dean smirks a little, Sam shoots him a look and Dean stops. “The people that made me were fond of snapping my neck to keep me down for a while”

“But you walk around in the sunlight” Sam points out, Katherine touches her necklace and shrugs.

“How come we've never crossed one before?” Dean asks turning back to Bobby.

“Because....they're rare” Bobby answers. “No one's seen one in....decades. Most hunters think of them as....vampire bed time stories. Night Walkers are from where the original legends come from, burning in the sun, stake to the heart....garlic I am guessing comes from vervain, maybe someone mistook the vervain plant for garlic, I don't know. You're looking at the vampire species that started the Dracula stories...”

“Not me” Katherine adds. “I'm not that old. I'm only 101”

“Only 101?” Dean asks. “Wow” he teases slightly, she looks to him. “Is that it?” she rolls her eyes slightly and looks away.


	4. Chapter Three

Dean sits at the dining table with Bobby's book on Night Walkers in front of him. Sam sleeps on the sofa, snoring away, Bobby has taken the other room and Katherine is in hers. Dean sighs and taps his pen against the book pages, he's read them and reread them and to him they really do sound like vampires. Super charged vampires.

“Dry reading?” he jumps in his seat and looks to Katherine stood behind him.

“Jeez, sweetheart, you nearly gave me a heart attack” he scolds lightly.

“My apologies” she offers with a small smile and then motions to the door. “May I?” she asks, he nods and she moves to look over the book.

“Your species is actually interesting” he admits touching the book. “Dream manipulation?” he asks, she smiles and nods and then looks to Sam.

“Do you require a demonstration?” she asks glancing to him, Dean raises an eyebrow.

“Are you seriously offering?” he asks getting excited, she nods. “Okay, but everything I say” he tells her standing and reaching for her metal arm, she violently pulls away shooting him a look. “No grabbing, got it” he assures her, the metal in her arm whirls. She moves across the room to the couch and leans over, Dean follows after her. Katherine gently brushes Sam's hair back and lays her hand on his cheek, she nods to Dean who smirks and whispers in her ear, she raises an eyebrow and looks to him, he nods excitedly.

“You're a man child” she scolds lightly and turns back to Sam, concentrates on him, letting Dean's idea take form in Sam's mind. Dean leans over watching as Sam's facial expression changes from one of peaceful serenity to weirded out mystery. Dean smirks. “I can't believe you had me do that” Katherine complains walking away back to the table.

“Ah it's just a bit of fun” he assures her following her.

“Night walkers” she reads. “I've never heard that term before, they just called me a vampire....”

“Who are they?” he asks. She glances to him.

“I can't tell you” she answers and looks back to the book. “I can't risk it” he looks to her, watching her expression shift to fear. Whoever 'they' are, she's terrified of them.

“Alright, no worries” he offers moving to the fridge. “Beer?” he asks, she shakes her head.

“No, I should get some more sleep”

“Midget clowns are working for Lucifer!!!” Sam shouts waking up alarmed, Dean looks to him and then bursts into laughter, Katherine raises an eyebrow at Sam who is staring at the pair. “Really?” Sam asks standing and then looks to Katherine. “I expect this from him, but you are 101 years old....”

“A child at heart” she teases lightly. Dean smirks at her as she sends him a wink and heads into the back room. Sam waits for the door to close before approaching his brother.

“Really?” Sam asks. “Using your new pet to mess with my dreams?”

“Don't call her a pet” Dean scolds closing the book. “I know you don't get it” Dean tells Sam. “I know you don't understand why....I want to help her. And I don't myself either”

“Maybe she compelled you” Sam counters. “Maybe this is part of the mind control”

“I don't think it is, otherwise she would have done it to both of us” Dean points out, Sam pauses and then nods, fair point.

…..........

Dean looks up and frowns, hearing whimpering, he stands and moves to the door to Katherine's room just as she starts screaming, his eyes widen and he bursts into the room, she lays thrashing and screaming on the bed, Dean hurries to her bed and grabs Katherine's shoulder shaking her slightly.

“Hey, sweetheart, wake up” he grabs her face, trying to wake her. “It's Dean, It's alright, I'm right here, it's not real, it's just a nightmare” Her eyes snap open and her vampire face emerges. Dean stumbles back a little from her, eyes wide, she sits up panting and changes her face back before looking away and then sobs a little crawling out the other side of the bed and sinks down in the corner of the room, wedging herself between the dresser and the bedside table. Presses her head into her knees as she cries. Dean watches her, his surprise and slight fear being edged out by pity. These 'people' have her absolutely bricking it. Dean moves closer and crouches in front of her, she shakes and sniffles trying to get away from him.

“Pozhaluysta. Pozhaluysta. Pozhaluysta. Ne delay mne bol'no. YA sdelayu luchshe. YA budu khorosh” she begs. “Pozhaluysta. Pozhaluysta”

“English, sweetheart” he whispers as Sam and Bobby appear in the doorway, Dean waves his hand at them to stop them from approaching. “I don't understand Russian” she lifts her eyes to his, hers are almost void of any emotions. “Shadow” he whispers staring back, the emotion seeping back into hers, pulling her from where ever she disappeared too. “Hey” Dean whispers, she swallows and looks around before setting her head back and crying. Dean stands and moves to Bobby and Sam.

“What happened?” Bobby asks.

“Nightmare” Dean answers and looks to Sam who nods, sees it now, just how broken she is.

“Okay” Sam tells his big brother. Katherine pushes herself to her feet and takes a step, before she is suddenly across the room in a whoosh, the three men jump as she crouches and grabs her journal from her bag and opens it up to write in it.

“Maybe we should give her some space” Bobby tells the two brothers. “Let her...process” Sam leaves the room with Bobby, Dean watches Katherine who whispers in Russian as she writes. “Dean” Bobby warns, Dean backs out of the room and pulls the door ajar. “I've met a lot of monsters” Bobby states grabbing a bottle of whiskey and three glasses. “But none like her” he points out. “All I saw in there was a little girl that's been broken....” he pours them each a drink. “And the Russian”

“You know Russian?” Sam asks.

“What did she say?” Dean asks over his brother who shoots him a look.

“Pozhaluysta. Pozhaluysta. Pozhaluysta. Ne delay mne bol'no. YA sdelayu luchshe. YA budu khorosh” Bobby repeats. “Please. Please. Please. Don't hurt me. I'll do better. I'll be good” Bobby translates. “It's something.....a slave would say. Someone. Or someones. Broke that girl. There's less monster and more child left” he takes his glass and heads into the back room to give it to Katherine. Dean runs his hand over his face as Sam grabs his own drink.

…................

Bobby crouches in front of Katherine sat on the floor and scribbling away in her journal.

“Here” he offers her the drink, she lifts her eyes to his.

“Thank you” she whispers taking it from him with her metal hand, her flesh one is shaking to noticeably for her to use it effectively.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Bobby asks moving to sit on the edge of the bed.

“Not particularly” she answers looking back to her journal.

“Would it help if you hurt something?” he asks, she looks to him again.

“Does this have to do with the living thing in the basement?” she asks, he nods.

“We're looking for a way to kill it.....you can be as rough as you want” she smirks at him, Bobby smiles and stands. “There we go” he points to her drink, she nods and he leaves the room.

........

Bobby pushes in a wire to his laptop and presses a few buttons before a video feed appears, showing Chet chained in the basement.

“What are we looking at?” Dean asks approaching with coffee, Sam yawns sitting in front of the laptop. Bobby smirks and motions to the screen as Katherine appears in front of Chet. “Monster on monster” Dean smirks. “Good idea”

“I have a theory about.....Shadow” Bobby offers. “And I want to test it...”

“What theory?” Sam asks.

“The Russian, the nightmares, the....'slavery'...” Bobby lists. “The way she is around people....on the run, doesn't like being touched....she's terrified of the people who 'made' her, the paranoid, constant alertness.....it's been seen a lot in defectors”

“Wait...” Sam states. “Are you saying she's a KGB defector?” Bobby motions to the screen.

“I think she's not just KGB, but something else entirely” he states. “Something worse then KGB”

“Worse then the KGB?” Dean asks watching the video feed as Katherine paces a little, watching, studying Chet.

“HYDRA” Sam realises, Katherine snaps her head up on screen and looks up at the camera, hearing Sam.

“Sam” Dean warns. Sam looks to the screen.

“But I'm right though, aren't I?” he asks, she nods a little and looks back to Chet.

“Hydra?” Dean asks, Sam shoots him a look.

“Really?” Sam asks back. “You don't watch the news, read a history book?” Dean shoots him his own look back. “Captain America defeated HYDRA in 1945 but in reality they just disappeared underground, undercover, within SHIELD, 3 years ago SHIELD fell because Captain America found out about SHIELD really being HYDRA all along and shut it down, again. The Avengers had been going around shutting down bases until Sokovia, and then the whole Civil War thing”

“Yeah, that I remember” Dean states.

…..................

Katherine touches a serrated knife on the table next to her as she listens to Sam, Dean and Bobby above her.

“There was something about Bucky Barnes, right?” Dean asks Sam, Katherine cocks her head a little and closes her eyes. Barnes is familiar. So is Bucky. “Cap's friend from before the war...”

“Right? They found out that Bucky had been tortured and brainwashed by HYDRA and though, I believe, not at fault for what he did as the Winter Soldier, was framed for that bombing in Vienna” Sam explains. Katherine rubs her head as a headache forms, she sighs and leans on the table taking a breath. Chet watches her, her he's a little afraid of. She's unpredictable, and new. He watches as she collapses, he smirks.

…..............

Katherine, aged between 10-12, walks towards a cowering blonde boy, sat on the floor, as another boy chases off the bullies. Katherine crouches and smiles warmly at the blonde boy.

“It's alright” she tells him softly. “They've gone now...” he looks to her. “I'm Katherine” she tells the little blonde boy bleeding on the ground.

“Steve” he blushes looking at her, even as a child Katherine was ridiculously beautiful, it's the first thing anyone saw about her. Behind her, another boy lingers at her shoulder.

“This is Bucky” she states softly, Bucky touches her shoulder and smiles. She looks to Steve. “We're going to look after you, Steve”

….............

“Sweetheart” Dean's voice pulls her back, echoing in the dark recesses of her mind, her memories, her eyes opening to peer into his, he stares down at her worried. She's laying on the floor of the basement, she leans up onto her elbows and frowns.

“What happened?” she asks. Chet laughs. She glares at him.

“Those that have been brainwashed sometimes have trouble remembering their past” Chet states smugly. “And when they try, they hurt themselves” Dean helps Katherine to sit up and she looks around slightly confused. “And it'll just get worse the harder she tries...trying to restore what they hacked out of her”

“Shut up” Bobby tells Chet. “You okay?” Bobby asks Katherine who cringes and touches her head. Dean and Bobby share a look. Dean reaches for Katherine and she flinches away from him.

“It's alright” Dean coos and takes her human arm, runs his arm down it to her hand and then helps her stand. “Let's get you a drink” he offers leading her out of the basement.

…..........

Sam hands Katherine a glass of water, she looks at it and then to Sam, giving him a significant look.

“It's 10am” he points out.

“I'm a vampire” she counters, Bobby smirks and hands her a glass of whiskey. “Thank you” she tells the older man.

“What happened down there?” Dean asks arms folded over his chest.

“I don't know” she whispers and runs her fingers around the edge of the glass making it sing. “I was listening to you talk and then.....” she looks to Dean. “You were standing over me”

“Nothing between?” Sam asks, she looks to him.

“I don't know” she frowns. “Maybe....” “I...” she rubs her head and sighs. “I think it was some sort of memory” she tells them. “Something you said must have....triggered it” Sam and Dean share a look.

“We were talking about Captain America” Dean tells her. “And the Winter Soldier” Katherine looks to the glass.

“I know the Winter Solider” she tells them. “We've met over the years....”

“Whilst you were working for HYDRA?” Sam asks, she nods.

“You probably think me more of a monster now” she tells them. “Working for a Nazi and Soviet organisation...and the things I did for them...” she nods a little. “I'll burn in Hell for”

“What you did all those years... It wasn't you” Bobby tells her, she looks to him. “You didn't have a choice”

“I know. But I did it” she stands and sets the glass down. “I'll go back downstairs” she tells them.

“You don't have to worry about that” Bobby offers.

“No, it's okay....I should earn my keep” she tells them. “Wouldn't want the pet to think she's taking liberties” she looks to Sam and smirks before walking away, Sam sighs and looks to Dean who smirks at him before following Katherine.

“Hey” he calls to her, she looks to him. “What did you see?” Dean asks reaching her. “When you passed out, it was memory, wasn't it?” he asks, she sighs.

“It was just me...as a kid, and some boys....” she admits. “But....I think...I remember my name” she admits quietly, Dean smiles to her.

“You do?” Dean asks. She nods and looks to him. “That's great”

“Katherine” she tells him. “My name is Katherine”

“Katherine” Dean repeats, she nods. “It's a start” he offers, she nods and smiles.

“I know....” she whispers and then opens the door to the basement, disappearing inside, Dean looks to Sam and Bobby.

“You really do know how to pick 'em, boy” Bobby teases lightly.

...........

Chet is chained to a chair. Katherine is filling a syringe. Bobby leans against the cabinets watching her. Katherine works efficiently and quietly, but she'd questioned them on a lot of the things on the table, including the holy water and the salt. So Bobby stays with her just in case she has other questions. Katherine flicks the edge of the needle on the syringe before turning to Chet.

“Okay, Chet” she starts squirting a little liquid out of it.

“Little fruit of the poison tree” Bobby teases dryly.

“Isn't that just a legal expression?” Chet asks.

“You're going to wish it was” Katherine whispers and then jabs the syringe into Chet’s thigh.

“Hmm” Chet smacks his lips. “Okay. Similar finish to holy water, not as bitter as rock salt” Sam and Dean come down the stairs. “And how are my two favorite meat-sicles?” Chet asks.

“Is he still sucking air?” Dean asks.

“Greatest hits didn't do the trick. She's down to B-sides and deep cuts” Bobby answers.

“Well if you let me do it my way” Katherine states.

“We want to know what kills them, Katherine” Dean points out. “We don't really need him to talk” She smirks at him.

“He'll be begging us to kill him when I am done with him” she growls looking to Chet. “He'll spill how to hurt him” a Russian accent slips through as she talks. Chet looks to her. They kind of just stare one another down. Dean touches her arm and she jerks away with a growl.

“Just...figure something else out” he tells her. “Quick. That whammy that witch dude put on him is only gonna last for a few days. He gets his spinach back I doubt even you can stop him.....we're gonna end up having to drop a car on him just to stop him” Dean explains.

“Actually... Edgar walked away from that car. He's fine. Well, he is a little pissed at you, but...” Chet tells them, Dean, Sam and Bobby look surprised. “Oh. You didn't know?”

“Why don't you shut your cake-trap?” Dean tells Chet sharply.

“Ooh”

“Katherine..... You've been using all this stuff and he still won't talk?” Sam asks her, she shakes her head. Dean pulls up a stool and sits close to Chet.

“Huddle over, coach?” Chet asks mockingly.

“How'd you find us?” Dean asks.

“It was easy. I used pattern-recognition software and a basic heuristic algorithm to track your known aliases” Chet answers.

“Great. Just what we need -- a Mensa monster” Bobby complains, Dean gets up and walks over to stand with Sam and Katherine.

“All right. Let's just start with the start. Where'd you get our aliases?”

“From your trench-coated friend, obviously. When we were all nestled in at Camp Cas, kind of got the full download. That's just how we do”

“So why are you talking to us, Chet?” Katherine asks. “You're not dumb. Why are you spilling state secrets?”

“'Cause I'm not scared of you” he answers. “You can't stop me. You can't stop any of us. We can't be killed, you stupid little chewtoys. You are aware that I'm the least of your concerns, right? Oh. You haven't watched the news today, have you?” Chet asks them.

…..........

Katherine, Dean, Bobby and Sam are watching the news on television.

“The two men, who up until today were presumed dead, locked the doors and opened fire, leaving no survivors. Sam and Dean Winchester are now the subjects of a manhunt throughout the state of California” A male reporter in a suit and tie speaks into a microphone. Bobby turns off the television.

“Busy morning, you two?” Bobby asks.

“Those sons of bitches xeroxed us”

“But I don't understand how” Sam states.

“I don't know” Bobby agrees as he takes a beer out of the refrigerator, Katherine crosses her arms over her chest. “Maybe one of 'em touched you at the hospital” Bobby offers.

“It was the hair!” Chet shouts from the basement. “Not too hard to lift some DNA out of a motel shower drain, guys!”

“You can copy people like that?” Dean asks looking to Bobby who shrugs back. “Awesome. Well, what is their plan, exactly?”

“To turn you into the most wanted men in America” Katherine states.

“All right. Well, that settles it. We find these ass monkeys, and we kill them ourselves” Dean snaps.

“Wait a sec. Every form of law enforcement in the country has seen your faces this morning” Katherine argues.

“Exactly. So what's the point in trying to hide?” Dean asks her.

“Better than sticking your neck out. These things are smarter than you” Katherine answers, Dean shoots her a look as Chet laughs.

“Geez, Katherine, don't sugarcoat it” Sam tells her.

“You don't have a clue how to kill them or slow them down, and your plan is to, what? Go right at them? Genius” She complains.

“I'm with her” Bobby points out.

“They're wearing our faces, Katherine. This is personal” Dean tells her.

“Yeah, I'm with Dean here” Sam adds.

“Well, if you're determined to be stupid, you might as well be smart about it” She mumbles walking into the back room, Dean and Sam share a look and then look to Bobby.

“Given that she's the oldest person here, with the most experience, you should maybe listen to her” Bobby points out.

“I have a contact....” Katherine tells them walking back into the room and flicking through her journal. “His name's Frank Devereaux”

“Who's he?” Sam asks her.

“Hydra sent me after him a few months before I escaped” she pulls a post it note from her journal. “I was already....wavering in my loyalty, the brainwashing was.....wearing off and when I actually met Frank I didn't see the need to kill him” she hands over the post it. “I spared his life and set him up in a safe house....and in return he helped me get out when I was ready” Dean takes the address. “He's a jackass and a lunatic” she admits, Dean snorts a laugh. “But...I count him as a friend” she shrugs. “In the meantime, I'll keep working on Chet, see if I can figure out what makes him die” she turns to head back to the basement before turning back. “You'll have to use the name Winter Shadow” she points out. “It's what he knows me by” Dean nods and Katherine heads into the basement, Sam snorts.

“Hydra liked their seasonal asset names, didn't they?” he teases. “Winter Soldier, Winter Shadow” he points out with a smirk. Dean narrows his eyes in thought. Something nudging at his memories that he can't quiet reach and now it is really bugging him.

…................

Dean stands with Katherine in the basement, she crosses her arms over her chest and raises an eyebrow.

“You don't have to worry about me” she tells Dean, a small soft smile playing on her lips. “Or Bobby” she adds. “I'm not going to eat him”

“I wasn't worried about that” he assures her and then glances to Chet.

“I'll be fine” Katherine whispers to Dean, he looks to her. He nods and then leaves, Chet smirks at Katherine who glares at him, she picks up a blade from the table and raises an eyebrow.

….................

The Impala pulls up to a service station pump and Sam and Dean get out.

“The usual?” Sam asks.

“Rhymes with sing-songs” Dean answers, Sam walks away smirking, Dean pulls out his cell phone and scrolls through to find Bobby's number, he just wants to check in on Katherine.

…..............

Sam puts a box of “Bing Bongs” chocolate cupcakes with vanilla filling, two bottles of water and some other items on the counter.

“You guys sell protein bars?” Sam asks the Clerk.

“Yeah” The Clerk takes a long look at Sam’s face. “But it's in -- it's in the back, though. Just, uh, give me a second”

“Sure. Thanks” The Clerk takes out his cell phone as he walks to the back room. Sam sees security footage of himself and Dean playing on a television behind the counter.

…..............

Sam walks out of the convenience store. Dean is filling the Impala.

“Pretty sure the cashier just made me. Drive” Dean replaces the pump and they leave, tires squealing.


	5. Chapter Four

Sam and Dean drive up to a house in the Impala and then get out.

“You sure this is the right place?” Dean asks, Sam looks to the address Katherine gave them and nods.

“Yeah” Sam answers as they approach the front door. Sam knocks. No answers. The two brother share a look. “Frank, you in there? Frank?” Sam asks. Dean opens the door and the two of them walk in. “Frank?” the two brothers traverse through the dark. “Frank? Frank, anybody here? Hello? Anybody home?” Someone turns on a lamp. Sam and Dean turn to find Frank sitting in an armchair, pointing a gun at them.

“Well, well. Spider caught some flies” Frank teases. “Well, I'll be darned. Psycho Butch and Sundance. You're on CNN right now”

“No, no, t-that's not us” Sam assures him.

“I know. Can't be. Unless you had a teleporter” Frank starts and then narrows his eyes. “Do you have a teleporter?” Dean shakes his head.

“No, sir. We don't”

“Well, my condolences on the doppelgangers. Now, who sent you? NSA? The Feeb? March of Dimes? SHIELD?....” Frank tenses. “HYDRA?”

“Uh, Winter Shadow sent us” Dean answers. Frank lowers his weapon.

“Ah...I see....” Frank tells them and stands. “Come on” he tells them both walking out the room.

…..............

Frank feeds ID cards into a shredder. Sam and Dean look at security footage of their Leviathan doubles, which is playing on several screens.

“Oh, yeah. I know that Shadow's kinda into that magic hooey, but truth is, the government have been cloning people for years. Guess it was just your turn in the barrel”

“Well, actually...” Sam goes to correct him, Dean nudges his brother.

“Forget it. He's rolling”

“Yours have been busy beavers. You're number two on the most wanted list. Quickest climb up the charts since Donna Summer. In fact...you're about to pass the Winter Soldier”

“So, what do you think we should do?” Sam asks.

“Cuba's nice this time of year”

“No, we're not hiding” Dean corrects, Frank looks to Sam.

“Is he always this stupid?” Frank asks.

“Look, we, uh...” Frank turns on some classical music. “We go to stick around and kick a couple asses. So, we just need you to get us further off the grid, but keep us on the board” Dean states.

“Well, first thing we got to do is wipe all your old aliases. No more rock shoutouts. It's Tom and John Smith from now on. And no plastic. Cash only. And change your phones on a...” Frank tosses Sam and Dean's cell phones. “...very frequent non-schedule schedule, you understand? Want tips....talk to little miss hides in the shadows, she's been doing it for 5 years now....” Sam and Dean share a look. “And she's hiding from some very bad pennies. Oh, and try to stay out of view of the 200 million cameras that the government has access to, 'kay?”

“200 million?” Dean asks.

“Big Brother, he has many eyeballs, my friend. You see a place that even looks like it can afford security....” Frank takes a laptop out of a bag. “You just ease on down the road” Frank looks to Sam. “This... this is your laptop, right?”

“Yeah. That's mine” Frank smashes the laptop against the desk many times. “What -- gee -- hey -- what are you -- what was that?!” Frank hands Sam a new laptop. “Uh... Thank you, I guess”

“No problem. You owe me five grand, cash”

“What?” Sam and Dean asks together.

“Unless you wanna go comparison shop at the mall, sweet cheeks. Say hi to the cops for me. Okay” Frank then grabs Dean by the jacket and pushes him against the wall. “Let's Blue Steel you up some new I.D., Mr...” Frank takes takes a picture of Dean. “...and Mr...” Frank takes a picture of Sam. “...Smith”

….................

Back in the cabin, Katherine raises a shotgun and pumps it before she shoots Chet with it.

“Whoo! Do it again! Come on, do it again!” Chet cheers, Katherine puts the gun down. “So you're just gonna touch me in the morning, then just walk away?”

“Are you still talkin'?” she asks him.

“Aren't you sick of this yet?” Chet asks her.

“You bleed. Black...snot, sure, but you bleed, you can die”

“Sure, sweetheart, whatever you say. Try the acid again, why don't you? Poor darling. You're stumped”

“Give it a rest” she growls.

“How long you think these'll hold once the spell wears off, hmm? Tick tock, old gal. I'm gonna really enjoy eating you, right down to those prosthesis” she snaps her head to him.

“I said shut up”

“And then I'm gonna eat everyone you ever said hello to....which for you is a very long list” Katherine swings at him, and cuts off his head with her hand. It rolls away. She breath heavily and then smirks.

“Huh....well, that's somethin'” she states.

….............

Frank tosses passports and ID in the names of Thomas and John Smith into a cigar box that Dean is holding. He hands Sam a map.

“I marked all the towns your stunt doubles hit so you can see the pattern” Frank tells them.

“All right, great. Um, so, what is the pattern?” Sam asks.

“No clue, man. I can't see it” Frank admits.

“Seems random”

“Little tip from a pro -- there is no such thing as a random series of robbery murders by your evil twins. Well, have yourself some uppers and look at that some more” Frank pats Sam on the shoulder. “Good luck”

“Thanks, Frank”

“For what? Sending you to your death? Your doubles want to be on candid camera, put you in the line of fire. Now, I'd lay low, 'cause I love life and its infinite mysteries. But you two want to be dumb, that's fine. At least have the common sense to ditch your car”

“Wh -- uh, excuse me – what?” Dean asks panicked.

“Your doublemints -- they're using a car just like the one outside” Frank answers. “And hey” he states. “Keep her out of this” he gives them both a look. “I did my research into Katherine when I first met her as Shadow” he admits. “I know her history, I know what Hydra did to her....She is my only friend” Frank admits. “And she doesn't need to be in the middle of this too” he clears his throat and touches a file on the desk, thick, very, very thick. “If you feel the need” he offers and then leaves the room. Dean and Sam share a look.

“Dude” Sam warns. “If you find out about her past....you have to tell her”

“Why?”

“Because she has no memory, if you know more then her....” Dean groans and touches the file.

“But...I need to know why I know her face” he whines and peeks into the file.

“Dean” Sam warns, Dean pulls a face and pulls his hand back. Sam's right, of course he is, if he was to learn of Katherine's past he would have to tell her, it would be the only thing that is fair. But if it is something terrible how can he be the one to tell her. He's grown fond of the 'vampire'. The broken woman he sees so much of himself in. Maybe a part of him wants to see her fix herself, to get better, to be better. Then he would know he can do those things too.

..........

Bobby is taking a bottle out of a brown paper shopping bag. There is a knock at the door. He picks up his gun, looks through the peephole, smooths his beard and opens the door. Jody Mills is on the other side.

“What the... What the hell are you doing here?” he asks.

“You're all charm, Bobby”

“So my therapist keeps telling me. How'd you find me?”

“I'm a cop, remember?” Jody holds up a plastic bag and a six-pack. “You gonna invite me in?”

“Well, you may not want me to. I got one of the big mouths downstairs and a vampire in the back room”

“So I won't go downstairs or in the back room” Jody enters and looks around. “Mm. I, uh...” She puts the bag and six-pack on the table. “I wanted to come thank you”

“Thank me?”

“Well, yeah... Seeing as they were fresh out of "thanks for saving me from liver-eating surgeon" cards at the store”

“Oh, that. Just doing my job, which nobody pays me for”

“Right. How you doing, Bobby?”

“I'm fine. Every day is a gift”

“Your house just burned down” Jody points out.

“As you can see, I got a roof over me”

“Bobby! Let someone be nice to you for five minutes?”

“Okay. But not too nice. I can't be going soft”

“'Course not. I can cook. Ish. You know? Why don't you let me make you something? Maybe put this new place of yours in some kind of order. Come on. I owe you that much”

“Okay. Thanks, Sheriff”

“Jody” She corrects him.

…...............

Bobby and Jody look up as Katherine leaves her room.

“Katherine” Bobby states. “This is...Sheriff Jody Mills” he introduces. “Jody, this is Katherine” Jody raises an eyebrow. “The vampire” Bobby adds. “She's....fine” Bobby assures Jody who then waves at Katherine, who offers a small smile back.

“I'm going to try again” Katherine nods to the basement, Bobby nods. Katherine heads into the basement, Jody raises her eyebrow again at Bobby who shrugs.

…...............

Katherine walks downstairs and turns on a light. Chet’s head has reattached to his body.

“Did you think it would be that easy?” Chet asks her.

“No. But it's a start” Katherine walks towards him.

“Ugh” Chet rolls his eyes, Katherine decapitates him again with her metal hand.   
…..............

A yellow My Little Pony is dangling from the rear-vision mirror. Dean squeezes it and it squeaks. He takes out a knife, cuts it down and tosses it into the back seat. It squeaks again as it lands.

“You okay?” Sam asks.

“You know, it's bad enough that they're ganking people, wearing our mugs, but now this? Have us driving around in this... this caboodle while Baby's on lockdown”

“It's temporary, Dean”

“Nobody puts Baby in a corner”

“Y-you know that's a line from....”

“Swayze movie. Swayze always gets a pass!”

“Right. Uh, well, you want some tunes or something? Here” Sam turns on the car radio. Air Supply’s “All Out Of Love” plays. Sam looks at Dean. “Sorry, man, I-I...”

“Just leave it. Probably gonna be the only thing on”

“♪ There's no easy way, it gets harder each day ♪ Please love me or I'll be gone ♪ I'll be gone ♪” Sam looks at the map Frank gave him and Dean starts to lip-sync along with the music. “♪ I'm all out of love ♪ I'm so lost without you ♪” Sam looks over at Dean. “♪ I know you were right ♪ believing for so long ♪ I'm all out of love ♪” Dean notices Sam is watching him and stops singing. “♪ What am I without you? ♪” Dean looks away out the driver’s side window. “♪ I can't be too late to say that I was so wrong ♪ Oh ♪” Dean starts to lip-sync again. “♪ What are... ♪” Sam looks at him and he stops again. “♪...you thinking of? ♪” Dean moves his head in time with the music. “♪ What are you -- ♪”

“Here” Sam switches off the radio and they sit in silence. Sam studies the map. Jericho is circled. “Dean”

“What?”

“Jericho -- the lady in white” Black Water Ridge is also circled on the map. “Blackwater -- wendigo. Lake Manitoc -- the kid in the lake”

“They're hitting towns we've worked jobs in” Dean realises.

“In order. Since the day I left Stanford with you”

“So, what, they want us to find them?” Dean asks.

“Well, one way to find out -- next case would be in...St. Louis”

“Perfect. Connor's Diner. Best burgers in St. Louis. Oh, I deserve something good in my life right now”

…...............

Later Sam is holding a cell phone that is set to speaker.

“Choppin' their heads off won't kill 'em, but it'll slow 'em down pretty good. Till they fuse back up, anyhow” Bobby informs them.

“Well, that's something, I guess. I mean, assuming we can even get close to them” Sam responds.

“Believe me, I don't want you walking right up to 'em, either. Katherine's still looking for something you can shoot at 'em”

“Good times. All right, thanks, Bobby”

…............

Jody is making sandwiches.

“Hey, you take mayo, right, Bobby?” she asks, Bobby nods.

“You got a chick over there?” Dean asks over the phone amused.

“What?” Bobby asks. “No”

“Are you even working, Richard Gere?” Dean teases.

“Shut up, you idjit”

…................

Dean and Sam smile at each other.

…................

“Where are you boys off to next?” Bobby asks.

“Uh, St. Louis. That's where we..”

“It's too late” Bobby interrupts. “They hit St. Louis. Pumpkin-and-Honeybunny'd a diner there”

“Connor's Diner?” Dean asks.

“Yeah. How'd you know?” Bobby counters.

“Lucky guess. All right, so much for that”

“I guess we're off to, uh... to Ankeny, Iowa. Call us if you or Katherine get anything else”

“You got it” Sam hangs up.

…..........

Katherine is preparing to electrocute Chet.

“Oooh” Katherine touches the skin of Chet’s arm with her own as she attaches jumper cables to Chet’s chains. “Does this skin make me look fat?” Chet asks in Katherine's voice, Chet has transformed into a doppelganger of Katherine. She stumbles back from Chet alarmed. “It's pretty dark in here” Chet tells her, Katherine leans back against the table watching him...her. “Like you are stuck together with sticky tape and whiskey. The broken little girl that just wants her mommy or her Bucky....”

“Shut up” she growls, her vampire face emerging.

“You don't even know why he's a pressure point, do you?” Chet mocks. “Your old Bucky, your buddy, your pal, your.....brother” she stares at him.

“I said shut up!” she snaps, her metal arm whirling away as she clenches her fist. Bobby rushes down into the basement and looks between the two Katherine's.

“Balls” he complains.

….............

Dean and Sam are walking along the street as a black Impala passes them.

“Sam, Sam. Hold up. Don't move. Don't move” The Impala, which contains Leviathan!Dean and Leviathan!Sam, does a U-turn and parks on the other side of the street. Leviathan!Dean and Leviathan!Sam get out.

“Oh, no. This is all sorts of wrong” Sam states.

“Those are nice wheels. Tell you what, when this is over, I'm stealing those rims” Dean points out as he takes out his phone and makes a call.

…..............

Chet is still chained to the chair in Katherine's form.

“Tell the kids I said hi” he tells Bobby who pulls out his cell phone.

“Yeah” he answers.

“Bobby, we got eyes on them”

“What?” Bobby asks.

…............

Leviathan!Dean opens the trunk of the Impala.

“It's like looking at a funhouse mirror” Dean complains.

…............

Bobby looks between the two Katherine's.

“Yeah, I know the feeling” Bobby grumbles.

“All right, well, tell me Katherine got something. Otherwise, we're gonna have to get in close”

….............

Dean and Sam walk along the street closer to where the Impala is parked on the other side.

“Look, just hang back for now” Bobby answers.

“It's too late. We gotta...” A police car pulls up, siren going. “Hang on” A Sheriff and another officer get out of the police car and the Sheriff points a gun at Dean.

“Hands in the air!” Another siren blares.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa” A second police car pulls up. “Big misunderstanding” The Deputies from the second vehicle are now pointing their guns at Dean and Sam from behind them. “Look, the guys you want...”

“Shut up!”

“They're right there” Dean points out.

“Shut up! Drop the phone. Put your hands in the air”

…........

Bobby and Katherine share a look.

“Dean?” Bobby asks.

…..........

Dean puts the phone down.

“Dean?” Bobby asks again.

“Cuff ’em” The Deputies behind Dean and Sam put them in handcuffs. Dean looks at Leviathan!Dean, who is back in the driver’s seat of the Impala. Leviathan!Dean winks.

…..........

Chet is still chained to the chair in Katherine's form. Bobby is pacing the room with a book. Katherine sits on the table, one legged crossed over the other.

“You know the thing about you, Katherine...” Chet starts.

“Save it” Katherine snaps.

“You got the gruff assassin thing down. Seen more death than an electric chair. Ready to die with your heels on. But, you know, deep down inside... you're no cynic. You still hope. You still believe you can be saved” Bobby closes the book and puts it down. Chet laughs. “That's hilarious” Chet tells Katherine. “There is no saving the monster inside of you” Bobby picks up a machete as Katherine looks down.

“You a Browning fan?” Bobby asks, Chet looks to him from Katherine.

“Come again?”

“Robert Browning. Poet” Bobby answers. “A man's reach should exceed his grasp”

“I like that. That's actually lovely. Browning? After I eat you, I'm definitely gonna hit the library” Bobby raises the machete. A several drops of a liquid fall from the ceiling onto Chet’s arm and burn his skin. “What the hell is that?” The skin on Chet’s arm turns yellow, then black, and black steam rises. Another drop falls and Chet’s arm continues to burn. Katherine stands from the table and moves to Bobby's side, they both watch. “Get it off. Get it off! Get it off!!” Another drop falls. “Get it off of me!” Another drop falls. Chet’s face is now also burning and a large patch on his arm is black. “Aaargh! Get it off me!” Bobby and Katherine share a look.

….............

Jody is on her knees wringing out a cloth into a bucket. She sees Bobby and gets up.

“Oh, sorry. Little snafu here” Bobby grabs her face in both hands and kisses her. “Mm! Okay, wasn't expecting that reaction”

“What the hell was in that bucket?” he asks warmly.

..........

Katherine is leaning over Chet’s headless, burned body, which is still chained to the chair. Bobby’s phone rings on the table, she looks to it and then picks it up, Bobby did say she could after all.

“Hello?” she asks.

“Katherine?” Dean asks.

“Yeah, Bobby's upstairs do you want me to get him?”

“No, no you'll do...we got popped”

“Excuse me?” she asks.

“Arrested, Kat, we got arrested”

“Okay. Bobby'll be there as soon as...”

“No, no, there's no time. Look, we saw them...They saw us. So, we are coming to get us. You read me? Tell me you got something”

“Actually yes” she answers looking to Chet. “There's a chemical sodium borate”

“Okay, let me get Mr. Wizard on speed dial”

“No, no, it ain't as weird as it sounds. It's found in industrial cleaners and soaps and laundry powder. Just look for anything with the word Borax on it”

“You want me to "Desperate Housewife" these mothers?” Dean asks.

“No, just trust me. It burns 'em bad enough to slow 'em down” Katherine answers, a slight Brooklyn accent slipping through. “So get the strongest you can find. Hear me?”

“Borax. Burns. Got it”

“Then douse 'em then get close, and then chop the heads off” Katherine puts Chet’s head into a cardboard box.

“Got it”

“And keep the heads separate!” She adds.

…............

Dean smiles from his cell.

“Katherine, I could kiss you, you're a genius. Thanks. I...” The Sheriff snaps the phone closed. “What'd you do that for?” Dean asks.

“Borax? Decapitation? What kind of sickos are you and your friends?” The Sheriff starts to walk away.

“Hey, you listen to me” The Sheriff pauses and turns back to Dean. “If you don't go get every ounce, every drop of whatever that stuff is in this place right now, we're all gonna die!”

“Well, you're crazier than I thought” The Sheriff leaves.

“Hey!” Dean shouts after him.

…..............

The Sheriff walks towards the office area and sees Deputy 1 leaning over a desk eating Deputy 3. Deputy 2 walks into the room.

“What are you doing?” Deputy 1 straightens up. His face is covered in blood and he is holding a strip of flesh. “What is your problem? We don't have time for lunch right now”

“I was hungry”

“Later. Let's go” Deputy 1 transforms into Sam’s shape and Deputy 2 transforms into Dean’s, and they leave the room.

….............

Dean is sitting in his cell. The Sheriff walks towards the cell.

“What is it? What happened?” Dean asks.

“I...It's just... I don't know what I just saw”

“Let me out of here. Okay, you listen to me, and we'll live. All right, keep your head down, get to the supply closet. Get anything that says Borax on it -- bring it here. Now. Go”

…............

Sam is handcuffed to the table. Dean enters.

“Dean!” Sam holds out his handcuffed wrists.

“I'm not your brother. But I am Dean adjacent”

….........

Dean takes the gun belonging to partially-eaten Deputy 3.

“Sorry” Dean sees what appears to be Sam. “Sammy” Dean realizes from Sam’s expression that it is Leviathan!Sam. “Not Sammy” Dean raises his gun and shoots. Leviathan!Sam knocks the gun out of Dean’s hand and throws him into a trophy cabinet.

…...........

Back in the interview room with Sam and Leviathan!Dean.

“I just want to let you know how much I've really grown to hate you and your brother since we've been wearing you. I just don't get it. You could be anything. You're strong, you're uninhibited. You're smart enough, believe it or not. But you're so caught up in being good and taking care of each other”

“What do you care?” Sam asks.

“Because it pisses me off! You're wasting a perfectly good opportunity to subjugate the weak”

…..............

Dean gets to his feet and uses his elbow to break the glass on a cabinet containing an emergency axe.

“Cute. Really think you can get close enough to use it?”

“Not until you're burning” The Sheriff tosses liquid from a bucket onto Leviathan!Sam, who starts to sizzle. Black smoke rises from his skin.

“Aargh! Aargh!” Dean cuts off Leviathan!Sam’s head. Black liquid spills from his neck.

…...............

“Here's the deal” Leviathan!Dean starts. “Dean... thinks you're nutballs. He thinks you're off your game”

“You gonna kill me, or is this some sort of "play with your food" bull?” Sam asks.

“All right. All right. You know, I guess that's why Dean never told you that he killed Amy” Sam looks at Leviathan!Dean in shock and alarm. “There it is. The look on your face. That is priceless! That's what I've been waiting for. Now I can eat you. 'Cause, you see, I like my meat a little bitter” Dean bursts into the room, flings liquid at Leviathan!Dean and cuts off his head with the axe.

“Well, that felt good” The Sheriff unlocks Sam’s handcuffs.

“So... the FBI is on the way” The Sheriff tells them.

“Yeah, listen, about that...” Dean starts.

“Whatever I can do... Especially if it involves lying about everything I just saw”

“Good. I was hoping you could help us kind of...be dead. You know, quote unquote”

“Yeah. Yeah, I should be able to swing that. All right”

“Come on, let's grab a mop” Dean starts to leave the room, but pauses when he sees that Sam hasn’t moved. “Sammy? You okay?” Sam looks at Dean briefly and nods, then looks away.

“Yeah, I'm fine”

“Let's go” Dean leaves as Sam continues to sit at the table.

…..........

Katherine sits at the table with Bobby as they watch the news, Jody stands with them.

“The Winchester crime spree has come to a violent end in Iowa, where they were gunned down” Bobby turns off the television. Jody is putting on her jacket.

“That should take the heat off” Jody offers.

“For now” Katherine adds.

“Thanks, Jody. Couldn't have done it without you” Bobby tells Jody.

“Anytime you need me to spill something else, you give me a call”

“Actually, there is one more thing” Bobby steps very close to Jody, who smiles at him. After a pause, he holds up a finger and goes to get the cardboard box. Jody picks up her purse. Bobby hands the box to Jody. “Don't open it. Even if it starts talking. Especially if it starts talking. When you cross over Underhill Bridge, just toss it in the drink” Katherine stands.

“If you'll excuse me, I, um...I have got a body to bury in cement” she tells them and then heads down to the basement. Jody watches her go and then looks to Bobby.

“I like her” Jody admits. “In a...quiet, brooding type of way” Jody teases, Bobby smiles and then kisses her on the cheek.

…..........

Dean opens the trunk of the hatchback, in which is a canvas bag and the My Little Pony. He unzips the bag, which contains the two Leviathan heads wrapped in plastic. Dean sighs.

“Are you sure you want to dump these things? I'm thinking they might actually come in handy down the road. What do you think?” he asks looking to Sam, who is leaning with his arms on the roof of the hatchback, doesn’t reply. “Hey. What? What is it? Talk”

“Nothing”

“Well, that's convincing. Did monster-us give you the jeebs, huh? 'Cause I gotta be honest – I ain't looking in the mirror for – for a while myself” Sam straightens up and turns to face Dean.

“Okay. You really want to know what's wrong?” Sam asks.

“Yeah. Yeah, you know my – here to help”

“"Here to help." Kind of like you helped Amy?” Sam asks, Dean looks surprised.

“Listen, Sam...”

“Don't – don't lie to me again. No, don't even talk to me. Yeah, I can't” Sam opens the rear passenger door of the hatchback and takes something out. “You know what, Dean?” Sam starts to walk away. “I can't” Dean takes a few steps towards Sam.

“You can't what?”

“I can't talk to you right now! Dean...” Sam turns to face Dean. He is carrying two bags. “I can't even be around you right now!”

“Okay, so...”

“I think you should just go on without me” There is a long pause. Dean nods. “Go”

“All right. Sorry, Sam” Dean turns back to the car and Sam walks away.

…...............


	6. Chapter Five

Bobby sets a bag by the cabin door and looks at Katherine sitting at the dining table with her journal, she's been quiet since Chet's demise and considering she was quiet before that is saying something.

“You gonna be okay by yourself?” he asks, she looks to him.

“I am sure I will manage” she answers. “It's just a few days and I did manage for 5 years before...” she smirks. “Your concern is touching but unwarranted”

“Is it?” he asks. “Something big mouth said shook you, Katherine...” she looks down and shakes her head.

“Nothing I didn't already think about myself” she assures him. “It's okay, go” she tells him, Bobby nods and picks up his bag.

“I'll bring you back a bottle of whiskey” he offers with a smile before leaving, Katherine drops her smile and reaches for the whiskey on the table. He's not wrong. Something Chet said did shake her. The whole....Bucky thing. How could she have forgotten her brother? How is she supposed to live with herself knowing that she forgot her family. She listens to Bobby's truck drive away before she stands and heads into the back room with her bottle.

…...............

Katherine snaps her head up hearing a car pull up in front of the cabin, she stands and moves to the window to peer out the window, it's an unfamiliar car and she starts to panic, her assassin brain kicking in and telling her that they've found her. She moves across the room in seconds and grabs her gun from her bag and then moves back to the window to watch the figure approach the house. She relaxes. It's not Hydra. No. Just Dean. She leans back against the wall taking a few deep breaths.

…..........

Dean opens a cabinet and peers into it before closing it and moving to another. He knows Katherine has a bottle stashed away somewhere. He raises his gun and spins before rolling his eyes. Katherine stands behind him.

“Katherine” he scolds lowering his gun. “I could have shot you”

“I assure you I would have been fine” she teases lightly. He sets his gun aside on the counter top.

“Did I wake you?” he asks her as Katherine moves to the table and sets the bottle of whiskey on it.

“No, was awake” she offers.

“I was looking for...” he motions to the bottle. “That....” she waves to it and sits down. “You mind?” he asks, she shakes her head and he sits next to her grabbing the bottle.

“Why are you drinking?” she asks. “Is it to do with why Sam's not here?” he glances to her and then away. She stands and moves to grab two glasses before moving back to the table.

“I made a mistake” Dean admits as she pours them both a drink. “Then hid it from him....”

“And now he's found out?” she asks sitting again, he nods and pulls one of the glasses closer to himself. “He'll forgive you eventually” she tells him, he glances to her.

“And you said that sounding so sure” he teases leaning back in his seat.

“I am...” she counters. “That's what family does, doesn't it?” she asks. “Sticks together through thick and thin and.....forgives” he offers her a small smile and shrugs.

“Every family is different...” he offers. “Mine is....complicated. Forgiveness comes harder to us Winchesters”

“But in the end you do forgive one another?” she asks, he smirks and shrugs again, she crosses one leg over the other and watches him as he stares at his drink. She's trained to read people, and it bothers him that Sam hasn't forgiven him yet, that he has fallen out with his brother, bothers him more then he wants to show, and she can tell this is far from the first time something like this has happened. He glances to her.

“Bobby called me” Dean tells her, changing the subject from him and his brother. “Said something was bothering you” she runs her finger around the rim of the glass making it sing.

“They take our memories” she admits. “Those things....Chet just said some things....” she sighs and pulls her flesh leg up onto the chair to rest her chin on her knee.

“Like what?” Dean asks.

“He said I have a brother” she answers. “But I don't know if he's right”

“I'm sure you do know” he corrects. “Some sort of feeling”

“I keep thinking that” she admits. “That I'll see something, smell something, hear something and it will just....trigger something, but....nothing....I mean, Chet told me his name was Bucky, and I know I knew a Bucky but I feel nothing for him or that memory. If he was my brother, then I would feel something, right? Some form of connection? Like an instinct?”

“I don't know” he admits. “Undoing brainwashing is not an area of my expertise” she smiles sadly at him.

“I just....” she sighs. “One thing” she whispers. “All I want is one solid fact about who I was” she admits and then downs her drink before Dean pours her another. “It's like knowing that who you are....is wrong” she looks to him. “I feel...incomplete” she scoffs. “In more ways then one” Dean leans closer to Katherine, brushes her back behind her ear as she watches him.

“You're beautiful” he offers. “Now and then....that's one fact”

“You don't know that” she argues, he nods.

“Yeah, I do....call it a feeling” he whispers, eyes flickering to her lips. Dean ghosts his lips over Katherine's, she watches him carefully, unsure how she feels about this, he brushes his lips over hers again and she respond this time, she's kissing him back, Dean raises a hand to her face and cups it, threading his fingers into her hair to pull her closer. He won't admit it, but he has been thinking of this. Vampire aside, she is a very attractive woman, and he has no problem fantasizing about beautiful women. And this is something else. The way she kisses him, that warmth blossoming in his chest, a pressure threatening to explode, he's never felt this with a kiss before. He moves his hand down her right arm and she becomes aware, jerks back before he can reach her elbow, she stands knocking the chair back as she does. Swallowing thickly she backs away. “Kat?” he asks, she looks around, her breathing heavy from both lust and fear.

“I can't...” she whispers. “I can't...” she repeats getting upset. It's not that she doesn't want to. She can read her body well enough to know that she is attracted to him, and he's been nothing but kind to her but admitting to someone about her arm and leg, someone out side of Hydra, someone that may actually run seeing them.

“Hey” he coos. “It's okay” he stands and approaches her. “I'm not going to make you” he promises, she takes a breath and wraps her arms around herself. “Did someone....hurt you?” he asks careful of his wording, she glances to him, studies him.

“No” she whispers. “Not 'that' way.....” she assures him. “I have......” she rolls her eyes, she's a former assassin and a vampire and she can't admit that her body is broken.

“Scars?” he asks her, she nods a little and touches her right forearm. “We've all got scars” he assures her. “That's nothing new, sweetheart. Trust me, it's not as bad as you think” Katherine swallows the lump in her throat and touches her right glove, she sighs and pulls it off revealing her prosthetic hand. She holds it up and smiles a little, disgusted at herself.

“Really?” she asks rolling up her sleeve to reveal the rest of her forearm. “Not as bad as I think? Well I think that having parts of me missing....is pretty damn bad” Dean looks to her sadly and moves closer, she cringes and steps back.

“Stop that” he scolds and she looks away. He lifts his hand to her face and brushes away her tears. “Something bad happened....but you survived” he tells her. “Still surviving” he reaches for her right hand, she tries to pull it away but he grabs her wrist. “This is just proof” he whispers. “You have bits missing and you are still this badass vampire former assassin” she looks to him, he smiles. “That's pretty awesome” he brushes away more tears and nods softly. He steps closer to her, searching her eyes before he kisses her softly, pulling her prosthetic hand up to his face, encouraging her to touch him. She presses her palm to his cheek.

“See, it's okay” he assures her. “Can you feel anything?” he asks, she shakes her head.

“No...” she admits. “It's why I try not to use it....I can't feel...pressure..”

“You could squeeze too hard” he offers, she nods. “And this explains why you were iffy on being grabbed and the mechanical sounds” Katherine nods and pulls her hand back.

“I should sleep” she whispers backing away, and Dean can see he's loosing the conversation here, and the mood. She gives him a lingering look before disappearing into the back room, he sighs and looks to the now empty bottle of whiskey on the table. He traces a pattern into the table before standing and moving to the couch where there are pillows and blankets laid out. He sighs and looks to the semi-closed door to the back room.

….............

Dean lays staring at the ceiling of the cabin, it's quiet without Sam's snoring. He turns to the side to face that back room door before sitting up and reaching into his duffel where he pulls out Frank's file on Katherine. Flipping it open he fingers along the family column and sighs. Bucky Barnes. The Winter Soldier. He's not sure that news will make her feel better, to know that Chet is right but she feels nothing for the person who is her brother. That she's crossed paths with him and didn't know he was her brother. That he's still alive. He closes the file and shakes his head, looking up her family is one thing, but delving into the rest, into what she suffered, into what those people did to her....that's another thing. He touches the top of the file and then puts it away. There's no way he can tell her about Bucky without having to explain about the file, not unless he can come up with some other way he'd figure it out. He knows he's seen her face before all of this. It's just figuring out where.

…..........

Dean crawls into the bed and touches Katherine's waist, he knows she's awake, knows she knows he's there, he wraps his arm around her as he presses himself up against her back. He threads his fingers with hers resting on her stomach. Katherine turns to face him, his fingers brushing her hair back behind her ear, his thumb brushing over her cheek, his arm around her waist tugs her closer him, then leans closer to press his lips to hers, a soft, questionable kiss, but she does kiss him back. His hand moves lower to her right leg and she stiffens, he pulls back and frowns at her.

“Is that?” he asks. “Your leg too?” he asks, she nods a little. Dean pushes her back, flat on her back as he leans over her, those big doe eyes staring back up at him. “Show me” he whispers running his hand along her right leg, she swallows the nervous lump in her throat. “Kat” he whispers softly. “It's okay. Show me” she looks away and takes a breath. She nods a little, he leans up to watch as she pushes her fingers into the side of her yoga pants, comfortable enough to sleep in and they cover her leg, so win win, and pushes them down her legs before dropping them on the floor beside the bed. Dean runs his hand along Katherine's prosthetic leg, it's crude in design, almost a hack job attachment at the top, he strokes his finger along the jagged scar and she takes a breath closing her eyes. He looks to her flesh leg, it's human but it's scarred too, gunshot scars, knife scars, burns...it's like a map of her life, and it is crap. And he's mad, Dean is actually mad that someone did this to her. “Do you remember what happened?” he asks her looking back to her prosthetic.

“No” she whispers. “I woke up with it....with them” she touches her metal arm. “No one ever told me, and my memories of.....before” she shrugs. “You know that I have little in the way of memories from my human life” he moves his hand to her flesh thigh. “Dean” she warns, he lifts his eyes to hers and runs his hand up her thigh. He leans over her and presses his lips to hers brushing his fingers over her cheek and down her neck. She kisses him back, wrapping her flesh hand around the back of his head. It becomes.....heated, needy. She clutches to him like a starved woman, and he is no better. This is more then anything he's been part of before, her taste, her warmth, that feeling of another person. He pushes up the bottom of her shirt and she snaps her metal hand around his wrist, he lifts his eyes to hers.

“It's okay” he whispers. “It's okay, sweetheart” he assures her. “You're beautiful” she takes a breath and then nods releasing his hand, he helps her off with the rest of her shirt and throws it aside as his eyes find her body, mostly the right side. Something bad happened to that side of her body, the scars across the right side, the damage that must have been done, he touches the jagged, rumpled scars on the right side of her stomach and she closes her eyes. He leans down and presses his lips to the skin, feeling her trembling beneath him. She's so responsive to him. He kisses up to her chest and to her collarbone, nuzzles into her neck as her flesh fingers brush across his stomach and he closes his eyes with a moan, her lips form a small smirk. She pulls his shirt up and over his head and throws it aside as his lips find her throat, she wraps her arm around his back throwing her head back. It's been a long, long time since any man has touched her this way, so long that she honestly can't remember the last time. He slips a hand between them to unbutton his jeans, he hadn't really bothered changing before climbing into her bed. Opening his jeans, letting himself breath a little, he moves his hand to her human thigh, dances his finger along the skin before he reaches the edge of her underwear, he lifts his eyes to hers, questioning, almost pleading with her. She nods a little and he pulls them down her legs before setting the underwear aside. He pushes her thighs apart and lowers his head between them.

“Dean” she whispers. He glances to her, notes the slight fear in her eyes, not of him, but it's been a while for her. He strokes her thigh and licks at her, she closes her eyes and threads her flesh fingers through his short hair. She's actually delicious. He quips in his mind. He has no idea what he thought she'd taste like, but they did border on the more.....monster type tastes. Honestly he had no idea what he thought she'd taste like, but this is not it. He moans and pulls her hips closer, burying his face deeper between her legs. Suckling on her like a newborn on a tit. And he has her almost screaming, just on the edge. Her flesh thigh quaking in pleasure. He closes his eyes and raises a finger, sliding it inside of her, Katherine throws her head back and screams as her orgasm hits her like a freaking freight train. She bucks wildly against his mouth as it all becomes just too much, he lifts his head and nuzzles into her chest listening to her heart as it races, his finger still moving slowly inside of her, coaxing just a little more. His free hand strokes her cheek as she nuzzles into it. Her eyes closed, her lips parted. Arms either side of her head, his fingers ghosting along her cheeks, Dean leans over her, his erection pressed against her lower lips. He's never been this hard before in his life.

“Kat” he whispers softly, she nods slightly and he kisses her as he pushes himself into her, she whimpers against his lips as he pushes deeper, and deeper Katherine closes her eyes resting her head back against the pillow. Dean's been inside many women, many, many women but Katherine, there's a new level to her warmth, a new level to the snugness, a new level to the fire raging in his veins, the want coursing through him, levels he's never felt before. He presses his lips to her neck, dragging his teeth over the skin. She shudders under him and he groans. Katherine runs her flesh hand down his spine and pushes on the small of his back, begging him to move. Instinct taking over. Muscle memory even. He lifts his hips slightly and then thrusts back into her. She moans and digs her nails into his skin.

“Dean” she whimpers, he sets his hand on her waist and slides it down to her hips as he moves his own steadily, pulling himself out and pushing himself back into her. Over and over and over and he loves the noises she makes because of him, the way she moves because of him, the way she feels because of him. And his ego loves it too. He moans against her mouth as she scratches down his back, making him buck up into her, bottoming out, she arches up clinging to him. Her threads a hand through her hair and kisses her, her lips moving back against his as they.....his mind wants to say make love, but he's Dean Winchester and he doesn't make love. Only this feels like it is. And it doesn't freak him out. No, it makes his spine tingle and his orgasm race forward. The thought of making love to this woman actually makes him more excited. He reaches between them, strokes down her stomach and between her legs where his finger finds that bundle of nerves, she squirms against him, her second orgasm building under her skin, building and building, she clenches around him and he pinches her clit which sends her tumbling over the edge, she throws her head back, arching high against him, he wraps an arm under her waist and holds her close to him as his orgasm shatters, and it's an orgasm like none he's ever had before, blinding, sharp, in that moment, he feels like he can actually take on the world. Sparks fly. Fireworks. And all that jazz. He pants into her neck, mind suddenly completely blank. Dean rolls off of Katherine and lays beside her pulling the blankets over the two of them. She closes her eyes and turns onto her side away from him. Dean strokes her back and smiles, drowsy, before turning and curling around her, taking her hand against her stomach.

....................

Dean wakes with a smile, it's the first time in a long time he's slept all the way through, and he's pretty sure Katherine is the reason for it, he reaches over to her side of the bed and frowns finding it empty and cold, he sits up and looks around the room. He's sure last night happened. He stretches and then cringes reaching for his shoulder, where his fingers find scratch marks, he smirks.

…..............

Katherine sits at the dining table, a coffee in front of her but her eyes are staring a hole in the wall. Dean appears in the doorway behind her pulling on his shirt.

“Mornin'” Dean greets seeing Katherine, she looks to him, watches him slightly. “Everything okay?” he asks moving to the coffee machine, Katherine nods a little.

“Depends” she answers lifting something from her lap and throws it on the table. “On why you have a file on me” she tells him, Dean closes his eyes and sighs before turning to her, she cocks her head. “And why you didn't tell me. And where you even got it from”

“Kat” he starts.

“And how long you've had it” she looks up from the file. Dean clears his throat.

“A few days” he tells her. “Frank had it” he admits taking a seat at the table, Katherine nods a little. “I...thought about giving it to you” he assures her. “But I....” he sighs. “I don't know why I didn't” she gives him a look telling him she doesn't believe him. “Fine. You are already so worried, so upset about things you cant remember” he tells her. “What if finding out the truth is worse? But you have the file now, what does it matter?” she looks to the file and sighs.

“I don't want to just....read it” she argues. “I want to remember myself, I want to know something and feel what it means....not a list of names in a file that mean nothing to me” she looks to the file. “It says they are my family but it means nothing” she admits pushing the file away. “I feel nothing for them” she tells him, eyes blank as she looks to him. “I feel nothing” she repeats and stands.

“Kat” he stands and moves to her and she steps away, he stops.

“Did you read it?” she asks him, he looks to the file and sighs before shaking his head.

“Not all of it” he answers and she takes a breath looking away from him. “Kat” he looks to her. “I didn't keep it from you to hurt you” she scratches her teeth on her bottom lip and wraps her arms around herself. Katherine vamp-speeds into the back room, Dean frowns and followers her, she packs up her backpack. “What are you doing?” Dean asks.

“I can't stay here” she whispers pulling on her jacket. “I...” she looks to Dean. “You are the first person I have trusted in...70 years, and you've...just broken that...after...” she looks away. “After what we did” she whispers. “You laid with me knowing that you were keeping this from me” she looks to him. “You were selfish”

“No” Dean argues shaking his head. She grabs her bag and moves to stand in front of him.

“Yes” she counters. “You kept the file from me because you thought that if you told me....I wouldn't sleep with you” he shakes his head. “And you can cover it up with....you didn't want to hurt me, but I see through it....” she shakes her head. “You were upset and feeling sorry for yourself and you thought I would make you feel better” they share a look, he shakes his head slightly. “Selfish men broke me” she tells him. “Men like you made me into what I am. I can't stay...” she walks past him and towards the exit, Dean follows her.

“Katherine, wait, that's not...” she turns to him. “I'm sorry, okay? I should have told you about the file” he picks up the file from the table. “Take it” he holds out the file to her.

“I don't want it” she growls. “I want my memories not a file of facts, I want to remember my childhood, I want to remember what it is like to love my own brother” she shakes her head and sighs. “I am not going to achieve that here” she whispers.

“You have no car” he points out. “We're in the middle of nowhere”

“I'll manage” she counters. “I did for 5 years and I will again” she tells him and then leaves, leaving Dean stood alone he sighs and looks to the file in his hand.

…................

Bobby walks back into the cabin three days later and sighs, already sensing something is off, he looks to Dean stood by the dining table pouring himself a drink.

“What did you do?” Bobby asks Dean who gives him a look.

“What makes you think I did anything?” Bobby raises an eyebrow. “Fine...Katherine left” Dean corrects and touches the file on the table. “Frank had this on her....I stole it, and then kept it from her.....she found it”

“Of course she did” Bobby grumbles setting his bag down, he sighs. “She could have proven to be a powerful ally” Bobby scolds. “Very powerful and you've....managed to not only chase off your brother but her as well”

“You can't make me feel worse about this” Dean grumbles sitting on the sofa with what's left of the whiskey.

“I'mma try” Bobby counters. Dean sighs and shakes his head. “Did you have sex?” Dean pulls a face and keeps his head down. “Of course you did” Bobby grumbles. “Never mix business with pleasure....”

“She's hardly business” Dean argues, Bobby gives him a look, and Dean doesn't need to look up to know that it is there. “Can you not....” Dean begs quietly. “I know I screwed up....not like I can fix it either, she has no cell phone, no car, no laptop, got nothing to track her down again, mistake made and unfixable” he grumbles.

“Is that why you're drinking at 11am? And why you haven't shaved in what? 2 days?”

“3” Dean corrects scratching at his face and then sighs.

“You predicted her movements once” Bobby states.

“Yeah, but she won't go back to it” Dean argues. “She was caught out last time, she'll change her pattern” Bobby looks to the file and sighs.

“Did you read it?” Dean glances to him and shakes his head.

“Not all of it, barely any of it. I don't know if I really wanted to” Dean admits, Bobby nods and pushes the file away.


	7. Chapter Six

Five months later: Frank throws a blood bag on the table in front of Katherine, she looks up at him, he touches her shoulder and walks away.

“You just had this lying around?” she asks picking up the blood bag, Frank glances to her.

“Never known when you need it” he counters and then leaves the room, Katherine looks down sadly and touches the bag before sighing.

“Frank” she states, he pokes his head back around the door. “Thank you” he nods and gives her a small smile.

“He stole it by the way” Frank tells her. “I had the file, I offered it, they said no....he stole it” she looks away. “There are a few years missing” he admits. “That's why I hadn't given it to you, I wanted it to be complete when I did” she nods a little.

“I don't blame you for any of this” she assures him. “It's my fault, I think I over reacted....just everything with Hydra, made me paranoid, about everything” she pulls her glass closer and opens the blood bag before pouring the blood into it.

“Hell, made me paranoid too” he teases a little. “I'll leave you to your lunch” he tells her before leaving again. She sighs and looks out the window. She bounced around, town to town, lost, nothing felt the same any more, not after Dean, she couldn't function the same way any more, and she is tired, so very tired, and now she just wants to sleep away the world. She's been with Frank four weeks now, sneaking out to feed and then sneaking back in, she's been helping him with his research, his surveillance, she sees things he would miss. Her hearing twitches as she catches the sound of wheels on gravel outside the house, she lifts her head and narrows her eyes. Frank's silent alarm picks up the intruder and sends him a text, he looks up and Katherine is at his side, they share a look before she is gone again with a whoosh.

…..............

It's Dean's car that drives up, a bored one, not his Impala, he's alone as he climbs out of the car.

…..............

Dean walks through the mostly empty house with his gun drawn.

“This can't be good” he mumbles seeing an over turned table. Dean turns to the sound of a gun cocking and raises his own gun. Frank is pointing a shotgun at him. “Well... hi” Frank doesn’t lower his gun. “Frank... we're amongst friends here. Okay, acquaintances”

“That's just what a Leviathan would say” Frank counters.

“Frank. I'm not a Leviathan”

“Oh, sure. You're not a Leviathan. Dick Roman's not a Leviathan. Gwyneth Paltrow is not a Leviathan” Frank argues, Dean raises an eyebrow.

“Yeah?” he asks.

“Trust me”

“Okay. You know what, Frank? I think you've been doing a little too much research”

“They're anywhere, anyone. Who's to say this ain't the day they come for old Frank who knew too much?”

“They bleed black goo, right? You want to see what I bleed?” Dean asks, Frank points his shotgun at Dean’s foot, Katherine's fingers wrap around the gun and aim it up at the ceiling.

“That won't be necessary” she states. “He's human” she assures Frank, Dean stares at her, shroud in the dark like this gives her an air of mystery and danger and it's so hot, so much hotter then he thought it would be, so hot that he is now thinking about bending her over that table. “You're both human” she adds for Dean.

“Katherine” he whispers stepping closer, she takes one back, and he stops.

“Grab your gun, come with us” Frank tells Dean stepping between them. “For God's sake, don't make any noise”

…..............

Katherine, Frank and Dean enter a barn which contains a trailer, Dean can't take his eyes from Katherine, she looks fantastic, and he really should tell her about Bobby. Katherine opens the door to the trailer, Frank climbs in followed by Dean, Katherine climbs in last closing the door behind her.

“Why the downsize?” Dean asks.

“You!” Frank snaps back at him as Katherine moves towards the back of the trailer and sits on the end of the bed. “"Hey, Frank, go dig up some dirt on Richard Roman." That night, I was burned off every IP I had. Ears on my phones, eyes on my house...”

“Wait – Dick's got people watching you?” Dean asks, looking between them both.

“Do I look like I know? You think it's easy to see this deep into what's real and also be bipolar with delusional ideation? There is no pill for my situation, sweetiepop, so, yeah, best guess – the bigmouths are onto me. Next question” Frank snaps.

“All right. Well, what's the word on the bigmouths?”

“Their tentacles are everywhere. I-I'm looking at bankers, military high-ups...”

“This is why you didn't call me back” Frank argues.

“Hey, cut me some slack. You called me like four days ago” Frank argues.

“He called you four weeks ago, Frank” Katherine argues, Frank looks to her.

“What? No. Really?” he asks her, she nods. “Days, weeks – quit busting my chops”

“What, are you kidding me?” Dean snaps.

“You cool your heels, Buster Brown” Frank argues.

“Frank, I paid you fifteen grand for this”

“Yeah, I get that...”

“No, you don't get that! Dick Roman is every card in my hit deck. You understand that? Those numbers, they got something to do with him, okay?” Dean glances to Katherine and then looks back to Frank. “Bobby died for those numbers” he adds, Katherine looks down, she knows that Bobby died, Frank had told her when Dean had told him, it's not news to her. And Dean sees this, he's a little relieved that it's not him having to tell her.

“Look, I'm sorry about Bobby. I really am. You know, this one time, we were in Fresno, and we got stuck...” Frank starts.

“No. No, no, no. I'm not gonna play "this one time with Bobby" crap, all right? I'm not gonna get all warm and fuzzy with somebody else who barely knew him”

“Just trying to make friendly conversation” Frank mumbles.

“This is not a friendship, Frank. I'm paying you!”

“Easy” Katherine warns.

“Hey. You know what you need? A little LSD, a little shiatsu....” Dean stands to leave.

“I'm out of here”

“Hey, you want to know what those numbers are?” Katherine asks, Dean looks to her. “They're not lottery numbers, license...”

“I know that, Kat. Thank you”

“Which leaves us little else to do but probability generate” she tells him, Dean blinks slightly and stares at her.

“Come again?” he asks her, she stands and moves to Frank's computer, she sits and pulls the keyboard closer to her.

“You run most reasonable possibilities for a Leviathan-related five-digit number written by a dying drunk, you come up with nothing. Then you know what you start to wonder? "Hey, maybe I'm missing a number."” she tells Dean who raises an eyebrow.

“Well, how do you figure?”

“Because Bobby was dying of brain trauma” she answers, he nods a little. “I just had a feeling” she admits. “So I set up an old Hydra program to run possibilities for six numbers, seven, eight. But good news”

“Good news?” Dean asks leaning closer.

“Never had to go past six, because this...” Katherine types “454893” into the computer. “Is coordinates” Dean moves closer to her.

“You sure? To what?”

“A field in Wisconsin” she admits, Dean shoots her a look.

“No. No, Bobby didn't give us coordinates to some patch of weeds in Cheeseville” he argues.

“No, he gave you coordinates to a parcel recently purchased by Willman, Inc., a subsidiary of Richard Roman Enterprises” she informs him, he smiles a little and grabs her face to kiss her, she squeaks against his lips but does melt into it and starts to kiss him back, he moans against her lips, he has missed her, not this, not the sex, but her, just being in her presence is already making him feel better about everything, Frank clears his throat and Dean pulls back a little, he and Katherine share a look before she turns back to the computer.

“So what do we do?” Dean asks.

“Stay away” Frank answers. “Or, if we're stupid... we go there and set up surveillance” Frank pats his knees with a crazy smile.

.........

Dean paces the barn that Frank's trailer is parked in, he glances back to the trailer where he knows Katherine is. He holds his cell phone to his ear talking to Sam.

“Find Frank?” Sam asks.

“Yeah, Katherine too....”

“Really? With Frank?” Sam asks.

“Yeah. Those numbers? Coordinates. Dick bought some land. We're headed there now”

“Wait, wait, wait. You're just gonna drive right up to...” Sam starts.

“Relax. It's a field, not the Death Star” Dean counters. “Plus Dick's at a TED Conference. It's all over The Huffington Post. And Katherine is crazy badass”

“Wait, wait, wait. Since when do you read?” Sam asks.

“Know your enemy, Sam. What's going on with the girl?”

“I don't think she even knows her dad's in the life. So far, I got three missing truckers and one blood-free body”

“Good times. All right, well, keep me posted” Dean hangs up, Katherine opens the trailer door and pokes her head out.

“Got the equipment arranged. Come and get your costume on. We can go” Dean pulls a face at her.

“"Costume"? What?” she smirks at him and ducks back into the trailer. He follows her in.

.................

Frank leaves the camper as Dean pulls on the overalls, Dean glances to Katherine as she sits at Frank's computers.

“You're not coming?” Dean asks Katherine, she shakes her head.

“No” she answers. “I'm manning the computers for Frank, someone has to”

“Where did you even learn to do all the computer stuff?” he asks, she raises an eyebrow.

“Hydra taught me....” she answers turning the chair to him. “And Frank” he does the buttons up on the suit. “I'm sorry about Bobby” she offers. “I know I didn't know him very long....”

“Thanks” he grumbles a little, Bobby is still a sore point. “How are your memories...”

“They're not” she interrupts and then shrugs. “Sometimes I smell things, hear things....mostly I just think I'm loosing my mind” she admits.

“We've all been there, sweetheart” he assures her with a smirk. “It's one hell of a ride” she looks to him, he winks and follows Frank out of the camper, Katherine turns back to the computer.

.........................

Later, after Dean and Frank return from the empty field, where they learnt that there is already surveillance, Katherine taps some keys and the computer screen shows the field.

“All right, now what?” Dean asks sitting at her side.

“You look horrific” she tells him. “When was the last time you really slept a night?”

“Let's just work, all right?” he counters.

“This is it” she tells him motioning to the screens. “We watch the screens. I can take the first shift. You're no use if you can't even.....” Dean falls asleep against her side. She smiles a little. “Keep your eyes open” she finishes quietly, Dean's phone flashes in his pocket, but he doesn’t wake.

…......................

When Dean wakes he's still in his chair, Katherine is monitoring the field on four computer screens, Frank snores from the bed at the end of the camper, Dean stretches and leans forward slightly.

“How long was I out?” he asks Katherine.

“About 36 hours” she answers.

“What? Why didn't you wake me?” he asks her.

“Not your mother” she grumbles. “And you needed it” she offers softly, he strokes her arm and she jerks it away.

“You don't need to do that” he assures her, wrapping his fingers around her prosthetic wrist. They share a look, he leans forward and kisses her, she sighs into his mouth, he kisses her harder, her flesh hand coming up to rest on the side of his neck. He pulls back and smirks a little at her, before he sobers slightly.

“I'm sorry” he offers. “For how things.....for our argument, you were right, I invade where I shouldn't have....” she shrugs.

“Frank made me realise I may have over reacted....honestly when I first saw the file, I may have thought you....were Hydra” she admits.

“You thought I was Hydra?” he asks. “Well, damn, no wonder you freaked out” he taps her chin lightly and smiles at her. “I'm not, by the way, I'm not a Nazi” she bites her lip a little and nods.

“No, I know” she whispers and pulls back, clearing her throat. “Come see this”

“What?” he asks, she motions to the monitors.

“This is where it gets interesting” she tells him. The screen shows a woman walking across the field. Katherine zooms in on her. She is carrying documents and a walkie-talkie.

“Who is she?” Dean asks.

“Amanda Willer” Katherine answers and then presses a key, Amanda's California driver’s license, Richard Roman Enterprises security pass and a close-up photo appear on the screen. “Surprise, surprise – works for Richard Roman” Katherine hits another key. The screen shows three men in uniforms walking towards Amanda.

“What was she doing?”

“Being a naughty, bossy little girl” Katherine answers, Dean looks to her surprised, he smirks.

“Well, I hate to ask for that in the non-porno version” he teases resting his arm on the back of her chair.

“They're surveying. They're getting ready to build something” She answers.

“Build what?”

“Exactly. What? No idea” she admits, he strokes her back.

“Well, how do we find out?” he asks. On the screen the men are taking up positions on the field.

“We watch. Patience” she offers.

“Yeah, patience and me aren't exactly on terms”

“Well, then go out and kill something or whatever you kids do to blow off steam” she tells him turning back to the computer. “Did I mention you look awful?”

“Yes. Maybe because somebody I cared about just got shot in the head. And this is like shoving a rock up a hill”

“Here's my advice you didn't ask for – quit” she offers.

“What?!”

“You want to keep going?”

“I want Dick Roman on a spit”

“But you're gonna drive yourself into the ground first. Good plan” She counters, Dean stares at her.

“I'm not gonna quit. It's not even an option. I'm not gonna walk out on Sam”

“Okay, then, fine. Do what I do” she offers.

“What? Go native? Stock up on C-rations?” he asks.

“No, cupcake” she argues. “Decide to be fine till the end of the week” she admits. “Make yourself smile because you're alive and that's your job. Then do it again the next week”

“So fake it?” he asks.

“I call it being professional. Do it right, with a smile, or don't do it” Dean's phone buzzes. “It's been doing that for the last 36 hours” she complains, Dean pulls his cell phone out and listens to the message Sam left him.

“Dean, hey. So I think this guy was hunting a Vetala. Um, Dad took one down back in the day”

“No, no, no. Sam, that's not right” Dean argues, Katherine looks to him.

“What?”she asks.

“He …..”

“...says they're maladjusted loner types – like to knock a guy out, drag him home....” Dean presses a button on his phone to take a call.

“Sam” he greets.

“No. Who's this?” a voice, that is not Sam who answers, this is Krissy.

“Who's this?” Dean asks.

“Sam told me to call if I didn't hear anything back from him” Dean looks very worried. Katherine stands and grabs her jacket.

............

Dean and Katherine walk towards his car, Dean shoots her a look as she turns to him.

“Look I get you want to help” he tells her.

“You're used to work as part of a partnership” she points out. “And you are going alone, Sam was alone and look what happened....I'm offering you my help.....take it” Dean sighs.

“Fine, get in the damn car, and you do as I say”

“Taking orders” she states. “That I'm good at” she mumbles and climbs into the car, Dean groans and throws his head back, how is supposed to concentrate when she's with him? When she smells the way she does, like cinnamon and coffee, the sort of smell that makes him want to bury his nose in her hair and just inhale. He takes a breath and climbs into the car. She sits stiff in the passenger seat, hands folded in her lap, he frowns a little.

“You okay?” he asks, she nods a little. “Really?” he counters, she shakes her head.

“I have this thing about cars.....I mean, I think I do, I get this tightness in my chest and my arm and leg hurt....when the limbs should be” Dean reaches over and takes her hand in his.

“Look I know you said no” he lets go of her hand to grab her file from the back seat, he pulls it forward and sets it in her lap. “But...” she looks down at the file. “It's a shot at finding out things about yourself, and you never know....it might trigger a memory or something” she swallows the lump in her throat, she's afraid to open the file, what if she finds out something she doesn't like about herself.

“Have you....”

“Nope, still haven't read it, I mean I glanced at the first page but I didn't read it...” he answers starting the car. “Not my place” she touches the cover of the file. “Take your time” he adds. “It's a long drive” he pulls away from Franks.

…................

Katherine is quiet for most of the trip, she'll make a noise every now and then or her arm will whirl away. He glances to her and then back to the road.

“You haven't turned a page in a while” he points out.

“I'm stuck on my family” she whispers touching the file page in front of her.

“Bucky?” he asks her, she nods.

“He's not just my brother” she answers and looks to him. “He's my twin” he looks to her sadly. “And I don't....” she looks away. “I don't feel....I don't” she sighs. “I don't feel anything and I know I should, I know there should be something......” she picks something up from the file and turns it to Dean, it's a photo of her and Bucky together. “This photo....I don't recognise the girl in this photo but I know it is me” she sets it back in the file. “My mother's name, my father's name, my sister.....” she shuts the file. “This isn't me any more” she whispers. “I don't know these people, I don't remember them. I wake up on a morning and it takes me an hour to remember my name” she flicks open the file and scrunches up the first page.

“Kat” he states, warns slightly as she throws the scrunched up paper on the back.

“Katherine Barnes is who I was” she tells him scrunching up another page about her human life. “I was her” she flicks to another page and stops. It's a page on her car accident. “Oh god” she whispers.

“What?” Dean asks. “What is it? What did you find?”

“December 1947, it's a report of a traffic accident.....mine” she looks to him. “The entire right side of my body was crushed”

“Your arm and leg” he whispers slightly, she looks back to the file.

“I was in a coma for six months when.....Hydra took over my care” she sighs and reads down the file. “Huh” she breaths.

“What?” he looks to her.

“It was the blood transfusion” she answers. “They'd figured out the healing benefits to night walker blood and they'd pumped me full of it and then I died anyway” she touches the file. “Woke up 12 hours later, perfect health, except my arm and leg were hanging off, which they then cut off and replaced” she rests her head back and closes her eyes. “And strapped me into a chair that proceeded to scramble my brain” she adds. “Removing any trace of who I was. I'm never going to get it back” Dean reaches over and places his hand on her leg. “This is who I am now” she reaches into her jacket pocket and pulls out her lighter, she flicks it open and holds up the file.

“Are you sure?” he asks her. “Once you burn it there's no going back, no getting back.....” she takes a breath and nods.

“I'm sure” she whispers and then burns the file, opening the window to throw it out once close enough to her fingers. She leans back and takes a breath. “Who I was no longer matters” she admits looking to Dean, she smiles. “It's who I am and who I will become that does” he smiles and pats her knee.

“That's the spirit, sweetheart”

…...................

Katherine is half asleep when she feels the direction of the car change, she sits up and looks out the window as Dean pulls into a dark side road, he pats her knee and shuts off the engine.

“It's a long drive, and I need to sleep”

“I can drive” she offers, he raises an eyebrow.

“When was the last time you drove a car?” he asks her. “When you crashed?”

“I drove with Hydra all the time” she answers, he studies her.

“And you don't need to sleep?”

“Not really” she answers, he sighs and pats the steering wheel.

“Alright” he agrees.

“We could have sex first” she offers, he chokes a little and looks to her. “If you want” she shrugs a little. Dean groans looking over her, those leather trousers do wonders for her legs. She raises an eyebrow at him. “You can say no” she assures him. “I won't be upset. Just our last experience was rather pleasurable”

“Rather pleasurable?” he asks with a smirk, he leans over towards her seat. “Is that it?”

“It was sex” she answers. “What more to it is there?” she counter asks, he rests a hand on her neck.

“So with Hydra....”

“It served a function” she answers. “It works as a great stress reliever, assets work better with reduced stress levels....you currently are very stressed” she explains, he kisses her to shut her up, he tugs on her hair a little as he threads his fingers through the locks. She pulls back a little. “Is that a yes to sex?” she asks him, he nods already shrugging out of his jacket. He nods towards the back.

“Back” he grunts at her before kissing her again both of them working their way to the back seats.


	8. Chapter Seven

Katherine wiggles out of her leather trousers before throwing them into the front seat and then climbing into Dean's lap as he settles in the back seats, his hand sliding under her shirt as she kisses him, both hungry and heated and needy, her metal hand clutches to the back of the seat whilst her human one wraps around his neck. Her hips are slowly moving, dragging her panties covered core over his jeans. He grips at the bottom of her shirt and pulls at it, trying to pull it over her head, she pulls back from him and gives him the space needed, it pulls the shirt over her head and throws it aside, his eyes find her heaving breasts still trapped in her bra. He mouths at her breast his hand on her waist trying to pull her closer, she moans and closes her eyes as he works on leaving a mark on her right breast, it won't work, she'll just heal. She grinds down on him, his erection straining against the rough fabric, which in turn rubs against her, and from the damp spot forming on his jeans she's wet already and they've not done anything.

“Kat” he begs, she kisses him as she reaches down between their sweaty bodies and unbuttons his jeans to free him, her fingers grazing over him nearly makes his head explode, he settles for throwing it back, eyes closed as she feels her pull him free, her fingers wrapping around his girth, he knows it's nothing special, but it gets the job done and he's had no complaints. He slaps away her hand as she starts to jerk him off, it's nice, it's very, very nice, but he's impatient and it feels like forever since he was inside of her. Neither of them are completely undressed and he doesn't care, he just wants her. “I can't wait” he growls and pulls her closer to him, he reaches between them and pushes her panties aside, edging his cock into place, she moans and closes her eyes as he pushes into her, inch by delicious inch. He holds to her waist and groans, he's been with many, many women but there is something different about Katherine, something so much warmer and tighter and welcoming. Like he's been away from years and he is finally home. He sets his head between her breasts and mouths at the fabric of her bra.

“Move” she whispers. “Dean, please” she begs clutching to the back of his head. Using his hold on her waist he moves her hips in time with his shallow thrusts, he can tell she's not used to this position, she's not used to being in control. He splays his hand between her shoulder blades as she throws her head back to moan, her hips working against his, his free hand on her flesh thigh, he holds her tighter to him and then turns them laying her along the back of the car seat, it's not the impala, but it'll do, he nudges deeper into her and she arches beneath him as he moves, in and out, building them both up, hitting spots no man has ever hit in her before. He presses his hand to the door of the car, holding himself over her, he uses this perch to pick up speed, to bury himself deeper inside of her. His free hand brushes her sweat damp hair from her face and looks down at her with an expression she doesn't understand, an expression he doesn't understand himself, she curls her metal hand across her stomach, afraid to use it, but he takes his hand from her face and grabs at her metal hand moving it to his waist, she stares up at him, concern filtering out pleasure on her face.

“It's fine” he assures her and picks up the pace yet again, she closes her eyes thrashes slightly beneath him, the power, the speed, the heat, this is all insane to her, sex in Hydra was to relieve stress, this feels like something else. He leans down and kisses her, pulling his hand from the door to rest on her leg, pulling her thigh up around him. He's not going to last much longer, but he wants her to come first. He wants her to know this isn't relief he's seeking but pleasure, his own, and hers, he won't do this without her. His spine tingles as his orgasm race forward. He reaches between them, strokes down her stomach and between her legs where his finger finds that bundle of nerves that has her squirming against him, her own orgasm building under her skin, like wild fire, building and building. He groans into the kiss as she scratches down his back with her flesh fingers, he shifts his hips and she moans clutching to him. “Kat” he whispers pressing his forehead to her. “Cum” he begs his fingers digging into her waist, she clenches around him and he pinches her clit which sends her tumbling over the edge, she throws her head back, arching high against him, he wraps an arm under her waist and holds her close to him as she rides it out. Trembling and writhing against him as she cries out his name. And it's a beautiful sound. He presses his fingers into her skin as his orgasm shatters, and blinding, sharp, sparks and fire and ice and everything and nothing all in one bright explosion. He holds himself to her as he rides it out, thrusting softly into her, she breaths softly stroking her fingers over his back. He nuzzles into her neck and closes his eyes as he softens inside of her, his lips brushing against her neck. She turns her head to him and he kisses her, soft, sleepily, sweetly. She hasn't been kissed like this since......well, ever. It's alarming slightly, the things he has her feeling, things she doesn't understand. He falls asleep into her neck as she turns her head away, a frown etching onto her face.

.............

Dean wakes in the back of the car which is being driven by Katherine, she hasn't bothered to cover her metal arm up and he counts that as a win on the trust thing, he climbs into the passenger seat and glances to her. She's frowning away to herself and he can see the cogs turning, he sighs and slides closer to her.

“Katherine” he whispers, she looks to him. “That's your name” he assures her remembering their conversation from the night before. “Katherine Barnes” she looks to him sadly, he strokes her cheek.

“Is this what it's going to be like everyday?” she asks him.

“I have no idea” he admits, she shakes her head. “You hungry?” he asks, she snorts. “You know what I mean, you wanna stop for breakfast?”

“This drive isn't about me” she states. “It's about Sam” she reminds him.

“Yeah, but I'm hungry” he teases slightly. “And I gotta eat” she nods a little, he moves to touch her metal arm, she pulls it away.

“I'd rather you didn't” she scolds. “Just...having....just don't” she argues with herself. He nods and leans back in his seat to watch her drive. She seems sadder then yesterday, like something else is going on inside her pretty little head. He won't push her on it. He has a feeling it won't help.

…..........

Katherine leans against the car, covered head to toe in black and shroud in her hood and hat combo, her eyes on full alert even if her body seems relaxed but she is always on full alert. Dean leaves the diner across the parking lot, a mouthful of fries and a handful of food, Katherine can't really remember human food, but she feels as if she misses it. She doesn't need human food, but if she can drink whiskey it must mean she can tolerate food, right? He smiles at her as he reaches her and offers her a fry, she lifts her eyes from the fry to him.

“What?” he asks muffled before he swallows. “It's just a fry” he offers, she takes it from him and then tentatively tries it. He leans against the car next to her. “You know the whole...ninja get up is a little freaky”

“Facial recognition” she argues. “All it takes is one camera” she looks to him. “I can never go back to them” he touches her arm and smiles.

“Yeah, well I won't let them” he counters, she frowns a little in her hood and looks away from him.

“Why?” she asks, he frowns at her. “You said it yourself....I'm just a monster” he looks to her sadly.

“Kat” he whispers, she turns and climbs into the car, he pushes himself up and rounds the car to the passenger side, climbing in he sets his food on the dash, she starts the car and pulls away.

…...................

Krissy, the girl from Sam's phone opens the apartment door to find Dean and Katherine standing on the other side.

“My name's Dean” Dean tells her. “You called about my brother Sam” Krissy nods. “This is Katherine” Dean offers looking to the vampire. “She's...my friend” he offers.

“Krissy” Krissy offers and pushes open the door, Dean steps into the apartment and Katherine glances around the threshold before trying. She gets stuck, groans and looks around the boundary of the door. Dean looks to her as she glares at the door.

“I can't get in” she argues and then looks to Krissy. “Means your father is still alive. Unfortunately I am stuck out here” Dean moves back to the door.

“What do you want to do here?” he asks her.

“You get what you can from her” Katherine answers. “I'm going to feed” she backs up slightly. “I won't be long” she turns and takes a few steps before she vamp-speeds away, Dean closes the apartment door and turns to Krissy.

“Did Sam tell you where he was going?” Krissy asks Dean.

“That's what we're trying to figure out. What did you tell him?” Dean counter asks her.

“Uh...He checked my dad's room” Dean motions to the next room.

“There?” Dean asks, Krissy nods.

“Yeah” Dean looks around Lee's room and turns to Krissy, who is standing in the doorway.

“Look, I really don't have time to hold your hand here, so...”

“What are you saying?” Krissy asks.

“I'm saying go wait in the living room. Your dad may not want you to know every single thing about him” Krissy leans on the doorway and puts a hand on her hip. Dean opens Lee's closet and looks behind the hanging clothes. Only the corner of a map is still pinned to the board. Dean pulls it down. “Where is it?”

“You mean everything about the job my dad was working?”

“Sam said you didn't know”

“Sam seemed competent, so I figured, fine – I'll do what my dad always tells me to. 'Be a regular kid, don't say anything, stay out of the line of fire. Let the adults work it out' So much for that”

“All right. Hand it over. Okay? I have had a long, long week” Krissy pulls out a gun and points it at Dean. “All right, I get it. You're a tough kid. But I'm trying to get Sam and your dad back”

“My dad left, and he didn't come back. Sam left, and he didn't come back. I give you the info, you leave, you don't come back”

“I'm coming back”

“I'm coming with you”

“N-no. No. Hell, no”

“I'm coming! Or you're not going” Dean snatches the gun out of Krissy’s hand. “Ow!”

“Now hand it over”

“I can't. I burned it”

“You what?”

“But lucky for you, I memorized it all first” Krissy tells him, Dean then raises an eyebrow.

“Well good thing I know a girl with mind powers then, isn't it?” he counters.

…...............

Dean looks to Katherine as she walks towards him and Krissy who wait for her by the car. He'd explained everything on the phone and now Katherine is going to fiddle around in Krissy's mind for the information.

“Kat's gonna have a poke in your head” Dean tells Krissy. “And then me and her are going to get your dad and Sam” Katherine wiggles her fingers at Krissy who looks between them. Krissy sighs.

“What are you?” Krissy asks, Katherine pauses in raising her hands.

“She's a friend” Dean answers. “That's all that matters” Katherine looks to him. “Go on” he nudges her slightly. She turns back to Krissy and presses her hands to the sides of the girl's head, closing her eyes she lets herself in.

“A truck stop diner” Katherine answers. “It's where people have been going missing from...” she looks to Dean. “We passed it on the way here” she pulls her hands back from Krissy's head turning to Dean.

“Stay here” Dean tells Krissy.

“No” Krissy argues, Katherine turns back to her.

“I'm sorry” Katherine tells her before attaining direct eyes contact. “You're going to stay in the apartment until we return” Katherine compels Krissy who stares at her before walking away to the apartment, Dean moves to Katherine.

“What did you do?” he asks.

“I compelled her. She'll stay here till we get back” she turns and climbs into the car, Dean frowns a little before joining her. He looks to her once comfortable.

“So she just has to do as she's told?” he asks as he starts the car.

“Pretty much” she answers. “That reminds me” she mumbles slightly and pulls a small box from her jacket pocket, she touches the top and then opens it, wrinkling her nose, she turns it to Dean, revealing a men's leather bracelet.

“I don't know if we're at jewellery yet, Kat” he teases slightly.

“It's been treated with a vervain dip..” she tells him. “It'll stop me and my kind mind controlling you” she pushes the box to him. “I have one for Sam as well.....” she looks to him with huge brown doe eyes and Dean sighs softly and takes the box.

“Thanks, Katherine” he offers her, she nods a little and then starts the car.

...........

Sally, one of the vetals enters the abandoned building and walks over to Sam and Lee, Krissy's father, who are still tied to chairs.

“Hunter day at the all-you-can-eat. How's everyone feeling? Good?” Sally asks, Sam and Lee don’t respond. “Strong silent. Fine. I don't need much entertainment with my meal” Sally walks over to Lee and leans down to feed on his neck.

“Hey, Sally, uh, did I tell you about the Vetalas I took down in Utah? Yeah. You remind me of them. Except they were so much...younger” Sam takes the heat off of Lee.. Sally walks over to Sam. “I tied 'em up. Not because I had to. More so... I could take my time”

“You're lying”

“No. I just want you to know how much I enjoyed cutting up your sisters”

“Shut up!” Sally grabs Sam’s hair and bites into his neck.

“Aah!” Sam’s eyes roll back in his head and his eyes close.

…..............

Dean and Katherine are in the car, which is parked outside the truck stop diner. Katherine's window is slightly open. Katherine rubs her hand into the join where her right mechanical leg attaches to her hip, Dean watches her with slight concern.

“Everything okay?” he asks, she nods.

“Yeah, just...aches” she answers pulling her hand away and looks out the window just as Marlene walks across the parking lot. “Her” Katherine states watching her.

“Are you sure?” Dean asks as Marlene gets into the cab of a truck.

“Yeah” Katherine answers. “I'm sure” Marlene drives the truck away.

“How can you tell?” Dean asks.

“I can smell Sam on her” she answers, Dean looks to her. Katherine glances back at him, he starts the car.

….................

Dean and Katherine have followed the truck, which is now parked by the side of a road near a building.

“All right” Dean tells her. “Let's do this” Dean gets out of the car and walks away, he turns back for Katherine, but she's gone. “Seriously?” he asks.

…..................

Dean picks the lock of the building and enters.

….................

Dean sees one of the dead men, then sees Sam, Lee and a third man tied to chairs. Sally is standing next to the third man and Marlene next to Lee. Sam is still unconscious.

“Good thing we picked up a new one. This one's about tapped out. You want to finish him together?”

“Sure. Love to” Dean grabs a metal bar and hits Sally, who falls to the ground. He draws his knife as Marlene advances on him.

“Not so fast” Dean swings at Marlene, but she hits him and he drops his knife. She slams him against a metal cage and grabs him by the throat. Sam wakes. There's a breeze as a visual blur rushes the room before it is gone again, leaving a knife sticking out from Sally's body, she turns grey and her teeth transform and falls to the floor dead. Marlene looks around for the attacker, Katherine appears in behind her, Dean's eyes find Katherine as Sam looks to her. Marlene stiffens and turns to her, Katherine smirks, and it's a little dark, Katherine stabs Marlene, Katherine twists the knife. Marlene's teeth transform and her body turns black as she dies. Dean rubs his throat and looks to Katherine who smiles a little, Dean smiles back at her.

…..............

Sam and Dean are walking down a hallway. They enter a room that Krissy is sitting outside. Lee is in a hospital bed in the room.

“Yeah, I was hoping you'd stop by. I wanted to thank you two as well” Lee tells them.

“It's no problem” Sam offers.

“No, you saved my life. Krissy's, too”

“Don't thank us. Quit” Dean argues. “Your daughter's 14 years old. She's already a wanna-be-hunter. I'm not trying to be a dick, but what do you think that does to her life span? She could still be a regular kid”

“You know, I got into this for a reason” Lee offers.

“I know. Your family. That's the same reason you should get out now” Dean adds.

“I can't. You ever know anyone who left the life?”

“No. They all get killed first”

“Well, uh... we should probably let you get some rest” Katherine tells Lee as she stands.

“Yeah” Lee raises a hand in farewell as they leave.

…..........

Katherine, Sam and Dean exit the hospital, followed by Krissy.

“Dean! Thanks for saying bye, asshat” Sam walks over to the car with Katherine, leaving Dean and Krissy to talk.

“Oh, what? Now you're sentimental?” Dean asks her.

“No. Just wanted to tell you that you're kind of amusing for an old man” Krissy counters and then looks down. “So... Guess I'm retiring”

“Really? How you feel about that?”

“Who knows? Maybe I'll go to Stanford like Sam” Krissy holds out her fist to Dean, who bumps it. “We're so lame”

“Yeah, we are. Take care of yourself” Dean agrees, Krissy looks to Katherine and waves, Katherine smiles a little and waves back. Dean walks over to the car, where Sam is waiting by the passenger side. Krissy goes back into the hospital.

…....................

Dean is driving the car, Sam sits in the passenger seat and Katherine sits in the back looking out over the window.

“You know what? Good for them” Sam states.

“Yeah. It's nice to walk away from someone and feel like they could be okay” Dean agrees and then glances to Sam. “How about you? How you doing? You all right?”

“No. I'm definitely not. But, you know, I mean, um, I think, maybe... I just want to work” Dean nods. Sam looks to him. “Should I even ask?”

“I'm fine”

“"Fine," meaning...?”

“You're right. We should just... work, right? And figure out a way to kick Dick Roman's ass. Well, hey, we are the professionals” Sam glances to Katherine.

“Kat?” he asks. “What about you?”

“What about me?” she asks scooting along the seat closer to him.

“You're coming with us, right?” Dean asks. Katherine opens her mouth to talk then stop closing it, a frown etching onto her face before she does talk.

“I wouldn't want to get in the way” she answers.

“You saved our asses” Dean reminds her. “And not just ours, of course you're coming” Katherine looks to him and he winks at her, she looks down and smiles a little. “Don't you have something for Sam” Dean reminds her pushing his sleeve up.

“Oh” she whispers and nods reaching into her jacket for the other bracelet, she holds the box out to Sam who takes it. “Just...for protection” she shrugs. “Stops me and other mes fiddling in your head” Sam takes out the bracelet. “Just in case” she whispers, Sam smiles and looks to her.

“Thank you” Sam tells Katherine softly, she frowns at him. “Not just for this” he holds up the bracelet. “But....you saved my life”

“Oh” she whispers and shrugs. “Urm...you're welcome” she offers back softly. “It was nothing really”

“That's twice now, sweetheart” Dean reminds her, she looks to him. “The alley and today. Don't worry we'll repay you one day” she smirks and then laughs, finding the thought of her getting injured hilarious, Sam and Dean share a look, this is the first time they've heard her laugh, she throws back her head and practically howls with laughter, Sam chuckles and then is laughing too, Dean smiles listening to them as he drives.


	9. Chapter Eight

Dean is sitting at a table with a bottle of whiskey and laptop, looking at websites related to Dick Roman: Global Economic Report: RRE, a search engine page, Financial Market Watch: Richard Roman Enterprises stock soars. A cell phone rings. Sam, who was asleep on a bed in the same room, sits up and groans.

“Don't give me that dirty-diaper look. I ain't calling you” Dean tells Sam.

“Where's Katherine?” Sam asks reaching for the phone, Dean touches his lips and points outside, indicating that she's gone to feed, Sam answers the phone. “Hello?”

“Sam, it's Jody Mills. I wake you?”

“The sheriff? Uh...” Sam turns on a lamp. “Yeah. Uh, I mean, uh....”

“Listen, I got something that smells like you boys. A body turned up in Canton, Ohio. Local P.D.'s trying to bury the story and the body”   
“Okay, um, so, uh, what's up with the body?” Sam asks.

“Well, when it went missing, it was a perfectly normal grad student named Charles Durbin. When it turned up, the thing was mummified minus the wrapping. This is actually the second body found like this in the last couple weeks. Sound like a song you boys tap to?”

“Yeah, yeah, that's, that's um... that's our kind of number. Hey, question – how does a sheriff in Sioux Falls get wind of a case in Ohio?” Sam counter asks.

“I'm just that nosy. Look, after everything I've been through with you boys and... with Bobby, you know, something like this pops up on the wire, it catches my ear. What can I say?”

“Well, we'll look into it. Thanks, Sheriff”

“Call me after, okay?”

“Yeah” Sam hangs up as Katherine walks back into the abandoned house, both brothers look to her, she gives them a look back. “That was Sheriff Mills. She caught us one” Sam offers them both.

“Oh, I feel bad. We didn't get her anything” Dean teases.

“I can't believe I'm about to say this but I hope you're watching cartoon smut” Sam points out. “Cause reading Dick Roman crap over and over again is just self-punishment” After a pause, Dean closes the laptop.

“It's called anime, and it's an art form”

“You mean hentai” Katherine corrects, Sam and Dean look to her. “Japanese animated pornography is called hentai” she explains. “Anime is just television or film that is animated from Japan” Dean smiles as Sam raises an eyebrow.

…............

In Canton, Ohio, there is a sign that reads 'For Auction' and 'No Trespassing' are hung on a security fence around the house. Dean pulls up in a car outside, Sam in the passenger side, Katherine in the back.

“Well, this looks nice. Check around back?” Dean asks them before he then drives off.

…..............

Inside Dean carries a table into an empty downstairs room. Sam comes down the stairs carrying a chair.

“Well, there’s a... semi-functioning bathroom and one un-rancid bedroom” Sam tells Dean.

“Define semi-functioning, and do not use the words 'hole in the floor'” Sam holds out his right fist on his left palm and nods meaningfully to Dean. Dean takes up the same position with a bit of a flourish. They hit their palms with their fists twice.

…...............

Sam rolls out a bedroll in an empty bedroom. Dean enters the room and stands near the door.

“How does paper beat a rock? It's stupid” Dean complains. Sam doesn’t respond and Dean leaves the room.

…..............

Dean finds Katherine in the back yard, head thrown back, eyes closed, the sun on her skin.

“How do you walk in the sun?” Dean asks, “That book said you're supposed to burn” she shrugs a little.

“Magic” she answers not looking to him. “Hydra fixed it” she admits. “They didn't know it was a side effect when I first.....became this” she motions to herself. “First time I left the facility and I caught fire”

“Didn't that hurt?” he asks, she nods.

“Yes” she admits. “I was burning alive” she lowers her head and looks to him. “It was less then pleasant”

“Yeah, I bet” he offers.

“Would you like to see?” she asks.

“Would I like to see you burning?” he asks, she nods. “No, sweetheart, I wouldn't” she shrugs and looks back up at the sky, he raises an eyebrow. “What exactly are you doing?” he asks, she holds her hand back to him.

“Come here” she states, he moves to her and takes her hand, she turns to him and smile. “Close your eyes” she whispers, he glances to her and then does, she tilts his head up towards the sky. “I was stuck inside for almost a year before Hydra figured out a loophole” she admits. “Now I like to just....feel the sun” she steps back from him letting the sun hit him. “The warmth on my skin, it's like that feeling you get post sex, when you are warm everywhere and everything tingles...” he smirks a little. “And you feel like....this is it” she admits. “This could be the end of the world....and I wouldn't give a damn” she looks to him and smiles. “That's what I feel when I let myself feel the sun”

“It's nice” he tells her. “Hydra were dicks” he smiles knowing she is doing the same.

“Yeah, they were” she agrees. They are both silent a moment, he is just enjoying the sun and she is watching him. “Tell me about Dick” she asks of him. “What did he do?” Dean looks down and to her.

“He killed Bobby” Dean whispers.

“Then I will help” she offers, he raises an eyebrow. “I will do whatever it takes to help you kill him”

“Just like that?” he asks.

“I liked Bobby, and I killed for the wrong reason for many years.....this time I will do it for the right reason....justice for a good man. There are far too few left in this world” he lunges forward and kisses her, she kisses him back as he walks her backwards till she is pressed against the wall.

….................

Dean and Sam are dressed in suits. Dean is holding the police file.

“Kids playing hide-and-seek found the body” Sam tells him.

“Wow. Very King Tut”

“Yeah, so, uh, this is where the eyewitness to the assault lives, but the cops are calling him an unreliable witness”

“Because?” Dean asks.

“Let's find out” Dean and Sam knock at the door of a house and hold out their I.D. A Man opens the door.

“Special Agent Smith. This is, uh, Special Agent Smith. No relation” Dean tells him.

“Whoa. Do you mind if we, uh... My mom's sleeping in there” The Man steps outside and closes the door. “S-so, how can I...?”

“Oh, we, uh – we had a few questions about the incident you witnessed in the alley” Sam answers.

“You just gonna laugh at my story like the rest of the suits?”

“We're not gonna laugh at you” Dean assures him.

“All right, well, I'm on the steps... medicating... when I hear fighting. So I look. There's my neighbour Durbin, and some dude dressed like my grandpa's got him by the neck, right?”

“What do you mean he looks like your grandpa?” Dean asks him.

“Uh... Snappy shoes, suit, one of those, um, Justin Timberlake hats”

“Y-you mean a – a fedora?” Sam asks for elaboration.

“Aha!” The man affirms.

“Did you see anything else?”

“This red, like, energy passed through Durbin to hat guy. Even my watch stopped. Durbs... he aged before my eyes. He looked like a raisin”

“Well, we believe you” Sam assures him. The Man nods appreciatively.

“Thanks for your help” Dean adds.

“Thank you, officer – officers” Dean and Sam turn to leave.

“Wow” Dean breaths, Sam nods in agreement.

........

Dean and Sam, still in their white shirts, ties and suit pants, are working at the table. Katherine sits on the withered couch, Sam is using the laptop. Dean leafs through John's journal, then closes it and puts it down.

“Yep. Nothing that turns a dude into a Cryptkeeper. You?” Dean asks Sam as he checks to see that a beer can next to him on the table is empty and takes two fresh beers out of a cooler. “Sweetheart?” he asks, Katherine looks to him and he motions with the beer, she shakes her head.

“Uh, well, greater Canton turns out kind of a hot spot for weird dead bodies” Sam answers the original question.

“Hmm. You don't say”

“Yeah. News archives” Sam turns the laptop towards Dean. “They're not exactly reporting, uh, mummifies. But still, uh – 1928...” The laptop screen shows articles titled “Another Shriveled Body Found” and “Spontaneous Combustion Claims Life of Young Man” and a page of search engine results for “Canton Ohio mysterious deaths”. “...three deaths cited as spontaneous combustion. Bodies, quote, 'shriveled despite no signs of fire'”

“Little stretch, but okay” Dean offers.

“'74...” Sam hits a button on the keyboard. “...three bodies found with leathery decay. Uh, '57...” Sam hits a button on the keyboard. “...three more. Severe dehydration. This time one made the front page” Sam hits a button and an old newspaper photograph appears on the screen. In it, a young girl standing next to a policeman points at a corpse. In the background are a woman talking to another policeman and two men, one of whom is wearing a fedora and long coat. “Girl named Terry Cervantes found a corpse near her church”

“Any pattern here other than the location?” Katherine asks turning to the room.

“Random vics, random years. But they seem to drop in threes” Sam answers.

“That's two down, one to go” Katherine points out and then walks to them motioning to the laptop. “May I?” she asks him, Sam nods, Katherine leans over and types 'Canton web cams' into a search engine and brings up 'Securi-Net Webcams', which shows ten images from security cameras.

“Are those local feeds?” Dean asks her.

“Yes” Katherine answers.

“How did you do that so fast?” Sam ask looking at her. She shrugs.

“Hydra taught me” she answers. “Victim one was found at the Gas n' Sip near Main Street, correct?” she asks.

“Yeah” Sam answers, Katherine enters “gas+main+st” into a search box on the Securi-Net Webcams site and brings up four security camera feeds.

“Here's all the cameras around that store” she offers them, Sam smiles and nudges her slightly.

“You need to teach me how to do that” he begs of her. A Man wearing a fedora and long coat appears in one of the feeds.

“Hey, check it out – Timberlake” Dean points out.

“Wait a sec” Katherine states and frowns at the screen before typing away. “Here. Look” The laptop screen now shows a close-up of the man from the security camera feed, and a close-up of the man in the fedora and coat in the old newspaper photograph, she looks to them both.

“He hasn't aged a day, has he?” Dean asks. “All right, well, if he's been popping up for decades now, then somebody's bound to know who he is, right? Is there any chance that, uh, Terry's still local?”

…...............

Terry is still local and working at the hospital, Sam and Dean stand with her as she looks over the old newspaper photograph under the headline 'Strange Body Found' from a copy of the front page of the Canton Post, Friday Morning, May 10, 1957.

“You know it's so pretty in the spring” Terry tells them. “Everything's blooming. That's why I walked home that way – to see the flowers. Instead, I found that body. I still have no idea what could have done that to a person”

“Do you recognize that man?” Dean asks.

“Yeah. I mean, he lived on my parents' street. Mr. Snider”

“Where'd you say your parents live?” Dean counter asks Terry.

…...............

Dean and Sam are eating take-out in the car, which is parked where it was at the beginning of the episode, across the street from a house. Dean is also texting Katherine, to let her know what's going on. Sam smirks around his food. Dean sets his phone down.

“So, what exactly is this thing? Some sort of vampire who got too sucky?” Dean asks.

“Nope. Coroner's reports said there was blood in both bodies. 300-year-old blood, but blood” The fedora Man comes out of the house.

“Dude, dude. Uh, fedora dude” Dean points out. The fedora Man walks along the side walk and turns down the alley. “All right, let's do this. Let's move fast” Dean cocks his gun.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. What's the plan here, exactly?” Sam asks.

“Don't die” Dean answers, Dean and Sam get out of the car and hurry after the fedora Man. “He's heading downtown. All right, you take the street. I'll take the alley. I'll meet you in the middle” they run off in different directions.

…..............

Dean turns an alleyway corner and sees the fedora Man kneeling over and holding the head of another man, who is on his back on the ground. There is a red light above the prone man’s face which seems to be being absorbed by the fedora Man.

“Son of a...” Dean runs towards the men. As the red light from the prone man is completely absorbed by the fedora Man, the fedora Man lets the prone man’s head fall to the ground and stands up. Sam comes around the corner and sees Dean tackle the fedora Man. Dean and the fedora Man disappear in an explosion of red and white light. Dean and the fedora Man are tussling on the ground. Dean grabs the fedora Man’s hand and sees that he is wearing a ring with an hourglass symbol. The fedora Man breaks away and runs off. “Hey!” Dean gets to his feet and hurries after the fedora Man. He is in an alley. “Hey!” Dean draws his gun. “Hey!” Dean reaches the street, stops and looks around. Judging by the cars and clothes, he is in the 1940s. Two policemen get out of a police car and point guns at Dean.

“Hey, you! Drop the gun! Put it down! Drop the gun!”

“All right” Dean drops his gun to the ground. The policemen advance on him.

…............

A policeman is examining Dean’s possessions. Dean is sitting at the table in handcuffs.

“Okay, can I just...”

“Don't. Listen to me. Hey, if you tell me you're from the Bureau one more time, I'm gonna air you out myself. Got it?” The policeman turns on Dean’s cell phone. “'No signal' Are you some kind of Jerry spy?”

“Jerry who?”

“And a terrible one at that” The policeman picks up Dean’s FBI ID. “This badge was issued 68 years from now. Ace work, kraut-muncher” Dean calculates the date.

“'44? I'm stuck in 1944?!”

“We're all stuck in 1944, ya bunny” A Man enters the room. The policeman gets up from the table and walks over to him.

“Take a powder”

“Yes, sir” The policeman leaves the room.

“Look I don't even like frigging sauerkraut, okay, so you can just skip the...”

“What happened in the alley? And paint me a real picture”

“All right, well, I'm 'twelve monkeyed' no matter what I say, so here goes. I was chasing this dude. Uh, I'd just seen him mummify a guy. Yeah. So, I jumped him. He lights up red. Poof, we're in 1944” The Man tosses a folder onto the table and sits down across from Dean.

“Tell me more about the red light”

“Are you seriously asking...”

“You want out of this jail, you're gonna tell me everything you can about that man and the so-called light”

“Okay. I saw it, and then we were here”

“Would you say that, uh... it was all around you or that more that it came from inside this fella?”

“You believe me. Are you...? You're a hunter” Dean asks him.

“I don't know what you're talking about”

“Demons, ghosts, shifters. Hey, I've killed 'em all. And you're the same. Just 68 years before me, huh?” The Man exhales sharply and holds out a hand.

“And your name is...?” Dean, who is still in handcuffs, shakes his hand.

“Dean...Winchester”

“Ness. Eliot Ness”

…................

Sam is adding to research that is taped to a wall. Katherine paces behind him chewing on her finger. Sam's phone rings and he grabs it.

“Dean?” he asks answering it.

“No. Why? Where's Dean?” Jody asks.

“The thing that's been mummifying people took him in a frigging ball of light and disappeared”

“You guys get that a lot?”

“Yeah, more than most people” Sam answers.

“Well, I got you into this, so.....”

“No, no, no, you didn't. A-all you did was just....”

“Shut up, Sam. How I can help?”

“Well, um... How do you feel about driving and lifting boxes?” Sam asks.

…..................

Dean is standing, no longer in handcuffs. Eliot Ness enters the room.

“I-I got to tell you, I mean, 'Untouchables' is, like, one of my most favourite movies ever”

“What?” Eliot asks.

“I must have seen that thing, like, 50 times”

“'Seen it?' What, like, I'm in the...”

“Oh, yeah, yeah! You don't even know! Oh, you are – pbht!”

“Look, hey, wait, wait, wait. Let's just... slow it down. Okay? Now, time travel. Is that something you find up a lot of sleeves in the future or...?”

“No, no, no. It's, uh, not normally on the menu. Trust me. I'm as surprised as you are that I'm here”

“So we're hunting the same thing, just in different centuries” Eliot Ness pushes a folder towards Dean and opens a second one. “Two bodies. A few days apart just a little over a month ago. One witness said that she saw an assailant light up red after sucking the life out of a man”

“Awesome”

“How does that fill you with awe? Look, Dean, this thing, it kills...”

“In threes” Dean finishes.

“In threes” Eliot agrees.

“But you already know that”

“He's two down. You're coming with me. We've got to get this thing before it grabs the last one”

“Okay, so, so, wait, uh... Does... does this mean that I'm an Untouchable now?” Dean asks.

“It means we got to get you into some new clothes. You look like some kind of bindlestiff”

“Stiff your br – bin – what?”

…..........

A woman is measuring and pinning trousers at a table. Eliot Ness and Dean pull up in a car outside. Dean gets out of the car and smiles after a passing serviceman. Eliot Ness grabs Dean’s arm and pulls him into the shop.

“What's the rumpus, Eliot?”

“Ezra Moore. Dean Winchester” Eliot introduces.

“Hey.”

“Who's he? Some farmer clown?” Ezra asks.

“He's, uh, from the future”

“Yeah. Gas costs four bucks. You can get cheese out of a spray can. And... the President, he's a black guy. I could go on”

“Paint me impressed. I assume you need some clothes. Come on” Ezra counters Dean who nods.

…............

Sam opens the door and Jody Mills enters, carrying boxes.

“Hey, let me, uh – let me help you with those” Katherine states appearing at Sam's side.

“Hello, Katherine” Jody greets, Katherine smiles at her. “I got these. You go get the other 20 in my truck”

“Seriously?” Sam asks.

“Yeah. I think Bobby may have had a slight hoarding issue. I could barely get the door open on that storage locker. And, um, I'm pretty sure something's alive in at least three of those boxes” Jody admits, Sam and Katherine share a look, Katherine then leaves and walks towards Jody's car.

..........

Dean is dressing in brown clothes, then comes out of a fitting room wearing a dark suit. His hair is parted on the side. Eliot Ness smiles and whistles. Dean looks at himself in the mirror as Ezra smooths the suit jacket from behind.

“Awesome”

“'Awesome'? You some religious kook?” Ezra asks him.

“No, he just likes saying that” Eliot explains.

“So, spill already. What bucket of syrup did you two idjits step into?” Dean chuckles. “Something funny, sweetheart?”

“No, you, uh... You just kind of remind me of someone” Dean explains.

“Okay, Ezra... we need your help. It seems we're hunting a time traveller” Eliot answers.

“Delightful” Ezra tells them dryly.

…...............

Katherine is studying the research hanging on the wall. Jody Mills is using a laptop to search the Federal Criminal Database Secure Server for “Fedora, Man, Suit”. Sam sits rubbing at his eyes.

“Got it” Jody tells Katherine, the vampire turns to the sheriff as she brings up an old photograph that includes the fedora Man.

“Is that a – is that a ring on his finger?” Katherine asks.

“Um...” Jody Mills zooms in on the fedora Man’s hand.”Yeah” Katherine leans up and looks around before she grabs a binder, which she brings back to the table.

“I know that symbol” she admits, Sam stands and joins them.

…....................

In the tailor's shop, Ezra has a book open on a page with the hourglass symbol from the ring.

“It's the infinite hourglass” Ezra explains.

“That's the symbol I saw on his ring”

“Yeah, that's the mark of Chronos”

“Who?” Dean asks.

…..............

“The God of time” Katherine tells Jody and Sam.

“That's crazy” Jody counters.

“The thing is, with the Old Gods, once upon a time they were – they were just short of invincible” Katherine offers. “But they got a lot of their powers from worshippers, from people feeding them” Sam raises an eyebrow surprised.

“These days, not so much” Jody offers, Katherine nods.

“Right, they're not what they used to be. But they make up for lack of power with being twice as pissed and a lot more hands-on” Sam adds.

“Okay. So why's this God killing people?” Jody asks them.

…...........

“Could be he's killing folks for his time juice” Ezra tells Dean as she puts a gun into a holster. Dean puts a flask into his jacket pocket.

“All right, well, how the hell am I gonna ride him back to 2012?”

“Well, you could let him grab you, if you don't mind him using you for gasoline” Ezra offers.

…............

“So, how do we get Dean back? How do we even find this Chronos?” Jody asks Sam and Katherine.

“Best stab?” Sam asks and then looks to Katherine, she shrugs.

“We find a way to summon a God?” she asks.

…..............

“Look, let's just stick with what we know” Eliot tells Ezra and Dean. “Ezra, see if you can find something in all this junk that will kill a God”

“No trouble at all. Come in a few hours, see what I can scrounge up”

“You said you fellas found his house?” Eliot asks Dean. “Well, let's go see if it's been built yet. And then let's kill that bastard, because that...” Dean puts on a fedora.

“Is the Chicago way” Dean finishes.

“'Chicago way?'” Ezra asks.

“Who talks like that?” Eliot counters.

“Sean Connery” Dean answers.

“Come on” Ezra helps Dean into a coat.

“Never watch that movie again” Dean grumbles as he picks up the gun Ezra put in a holster and leaves.

….........

Eliot leaves the store first followed by Dean, Eliot smiles seeing a woman across the street.

“Quick detour” Eliot states and walks down the street, Dean follows. Eliot whistles and the woman turns to them, Dean's eyes widen looking at the woman, a very human Katherine, she bites her lip seeing Ezra before crossing the street to them. “Miss Katherine” Eliot greets removing his hat,

“Eliot” she greets back with a smile and Dean's never seen her smile like this, so carefree and easy, and light, and it makes her look beautiful.

“I thought you were heading back” Eliot points out.

“Today” Katherine answers. “Buck and Steve are heading off to the front again...”

“Right, that's....when we are” Dean mumbles.

“And you are?” Katherine asks Dean.

“Dean Winchester” Dean offers.

“Buck and Steve are back from the front for the weekend, we decided to come to here.....problem?” she asks cocking her head, Dean shakes his just before Bucky grabs Katherine from behind and she laughs out a squeal.

“Getting into trouble, little sister?” Bucky asks, Katherine elbows him as he sets her down.

“I'm only younger by like 12 minutes” she argues.

“And don't you ever forget it” he teases as Steve walks towards them.

“You won't let me forget” Katherine teases back, Steve looks over Eliot and raises an eyebrow.

“Been falling in love again, Kat?” Steve asks her with a smirk, she shoots him a look and then smirks.

“Life is too cruel, if we cease to believe in love, why would we want to live?” she ask.

“Why are you such a girl?” Bucky complains, Steve laughs and nudges his friend.

“Buck, she is a girl” Steve reminds him. Bucky pauses and then looks to Katherine who raises an eyebrow.

“Right, sometimes I forget” Katherine hits his chest as he smiles down at her. Bucky then turns and looks at Eliot. “Nice to see you again, Ness”

“Barnes” Eliot counters. “Can I expect Captain America and his Howling Commandos to put an end to the war any time soon?” Eliot teases slightly.

“We're working on it” Steve offers.

“And yet, here you three are”

“A few days” Bucky points out. “This is the first time I've been home in almost a year” Bucky pulls Katherine closer. “I've earned this weekend with my sister and our best friend”

“We're going to be late” Steve warns the twins who look to him at the same time.

“We have plenty of time, Steve” Katherine tells him. “Don't be such a fuddy duddy” Dean smirks amused, this is....educational.

“Let's go” Bucky nudges his sister. “Before Cap bursts a vein”

“Last night was magical” Katherine tells Eliot who smiles back at her. “If you ever find yourself in Brooklyn” she starts with a flirty wink. Bucky grabs her arm and pulls her along.

“Keep it in your skirt, Kitty” he scolds with a smirk, she laughs and turns forwards, Steve blushes away, Katherine looks back at Dean who raises an eyebrow at her, she smirks back at him, her eyes lingering over him. Dean bites his lip before looking to Eliot.

“Give me a minute” Dean asks of Eliot who raises an eyebrow. “Me and her....have a future” Dean offers before jogging after Katherine.

…..............

“Katherine!” Dean shouts catching up with the three of them, Katherine looks to him as Bucky scowls a little. “Sorry...can I talk to you?” she looks to Bucky.

“Make it quick, we have a train to catch” Bucky tells them and walks to where Steve is waiting for them. Katherine pulls her coat around herself waiting for Dean to start.

“This is going to sound completely insane” Dean starts looking at Katherine, without all the hard lines and the sad broken eyes she is incredibly beautiful. “January 15th 1947....” he looks to her. “Stay inside” she frowns at him. “Don't go out, don't get in your car, just stay inside and...listen to the radio, or read the newspaper, just....promise me, Kat, don't get in your car”

“Why?” she asks. “What happens if I do?” he looks to her sadly. “Tell me” she presses stepping closer to him.

“You don't think I'm crazy?” he asks her, she looks up at him.

“I think you're rather beautiful” she answers, he smirks at her and then chuckles slightly. “With those pretty green eyes....” Dean is highly amused, this Katherine is happy, and light, and flirty, and happy, he knows he thought that twice but just looking at her like this. He can so how much more damage Hydra did then he ever though before.

“Promise me, Katherine” he repeats, she searches his eyes before she nods.

“Okay” she whispers. “I promise” he reaches up and smiles cupping her cheek. He realises that if she does as he's told her, when he gets back, when he goes home, she won't be there, because she would never have gotten in that car, she would never have lost control and she would never have ended up in Hydra's hands. She won't be there waiting for him. He leans closer and then kisses her. He kisses 1944 Katherine and she kisses him back, his hand finding her waist to pull her closer to him. He pulls back and smiles at her.

“I'm going to miss you” he admits, she frowns at him, he gives her a sad smile before backing away from her.

“Why shouldn't I get in my car?” she asks him as he walks away, he looks to her.

“Just don't” he answers. “You promised so you can't” she nods a little and then watches him walk away, catching back up to Elliot.

“Kitty?” Bucky asks. “Everything all right?” she nods a little and turns to him, smiling away.


	10. Chapter Nine

Dean and Eliot Ness are outside the front door of a house in the suburbs.

“It looks empty” Dean comments. “You got a lock pick?” he asks looking to Eliot.

“Sure” Eliot Ness kicks in the door and enters with his gun drawn. Dean follows. “Take a look around. Where's he getting all the lettuce to support this?” Dean picks up a large journal and opens it. It contains horse racing results.

“He's using the 'Biff strategy'” Dean answers.

“Using what?” Eliot asks him.

“He's – Chronos is betting on races he already knows the outcome of” Dean explains. “Look at this” Dean hands Eliot a notebook journal from the side.

“He's spent a lot of time in '44”

“Yeah” Dean points to initials in the journal. “What's L.Y.?”

“It's not a what. It's a who. Lester Young. He lays bets for a lot of the flunkies in town. Let's say we go pay him a visit” Eliot answers and looks to Dean.

….....................

Dean pushes Lester down the stairs of the police interrogation room and into a chair.

“Hey! W-whoa! Hey! Hey! Easy with the jacket! Yeah, I ain't talking. I'm no stoolie” Dean punches Lester, who falls backwards in the chair. Eliot Ness looks at Dean.

“I learned it from watching you” Dean pushes the chair and Lester upright.

“Look, you seem like a swell guy, Lester” Eliot states as Dean takes off his jacket. “And I want to help you out. I do, but my partner here? He just back from the war. And he's spent the last two years kicking in Nazi skulls. If he doesn't kick in a skull every couple days, he gets real touchy”

“Lester. That a German name?” Dean asks.

“Hey, okay, okay. There's no need to snap your cap. W-who you looking for?”

“Fella by the name of Snider”

“What, that guy? I mean, bum never missed a bet, but he gave me the heebie-jeebies, so I cut him off.” Lester admits.

“Where would you meet him for the payoff?” Lester hesitates. Dean raises an arm and steps closer.

“T-the Early Bird! It's a dive on Haggerty. Practically lives in the joint”

….................

Sam and Jody Mills are researching, Sam at the table and Jody Mills near a pile of boxes. They speak almost simultaneously.

“Damn it” Sam complains.

“That's it!”

“Okay, yours sounds better. You first” Sam offers.

“It says here that people could summon Chronos 'to compel him to tell them their futures'”

“And I've got the spell to do it right here”

“So why the 'damn it'?” Jody asks.

“'Cause calling Chronos isn't the problem. It's making sure we summon him when Dean is right there... Literally with his hands on the guy, so he can surf him back”

“That's not automatic?” Jody asks.

“No, it's more like we need to get the time on their end right to the exact second”

“Or we get an angry God but no big brother?”

“And he's trapped there forever” Katherine points out, Sam and Jody look to her leaning in the doorway, Sam gives her a soft smile and nods. Jody turns and picks up a bottle with a handwritten note attached.

“'Fine, you ass. You win for once. Enjoy. R.' Who's 'R'?”

“Rufus, a family friend” Sam answers.

“Ah, right”

“Wonder what they were betting over?” Sam asks.

“Well, whatever it was, Rufus sure was a sore loser” Jody points out, Sam smiles.

“Yeah”

“It's weird, huh? It's like their life's a big puzzle. You just keep finding pieces of it scattered all over the place. We should drink this. He'd want us to. Am I wrong?” Jody offers them.

“It'd be rude not to” Sam agrees grabbing three glasses.

…..............

Eliot Ness and Dean are in a parked car on the street near the alley where Dean and Chronos appeared in 1944. Chronos is sitting in a diner with a cup of coffee.

“That's him” Dean points out Chronos.

“Kind of puny for a God” Eliot Ness drinks from a flask. He then holds the flask out to Dean, who doesn’t take it.

“Thought you were, uh – thought you were Mr. Boy Scout”

“Why do you think I went after Capone in the first place? The guy had the best hooch in Chicago” Eliot Ness puts the flask back in his jacket pocket, but immediately takes it out again.

“So, now, w-who died in your life and made you a hunter?”

“Who died? Nobody died, you morbid son of a bitch. I started doing this 'cause vampires were turning folks in Cleveland”

“And you got the bug”

“That's when I got the bug” Eliot Ness drinks from his flask again. “Sometimes you just want to punch through the red tape with a silver bullet. Yeah, hunting sets me free. Isn't that why you hunt?”

“I used to do it 'cause that's what my family did” Dean admits.

“Hmm”

“But they just seem to keep dying. To tell you the truth, I don't know why I'm doing much of anything any more”

“Boo-hoo. Cry me a river, ya nancy. Tell me, are all hunters as soft as you in the future? Everybody loses everybody. And then one day, boom. Your number's up, but at least you're making a difference. So enjoy it while it lasts, kid, 'cause hunting's the only clarity you're gonna find in this life. And that makes you luckier than most” A young woman with long blonde hair leaves the diner and walks past Eliot Ness’s car. “Hello, nurse” The young woman walks down an alley.

“Hey” Dean motions to Chronos as he leaves the diner and follows the young woman. Eliot Ness and Dean get out the car. Eliot Ness opens the trunk, which contains many weapons. “Sweet merciful awesome” Eliot Ness hands Dean a shotgun. Chronos is gaining on the young woman. Eliot Ness and Dean run after them and raise their guns. Chronos grabs the young woman's arm and turns her to face him. They kiss. Dean and Eliot Ness look at each other in confusion.

….................

Eliot Ness is talking to someone in a small truck loaded with hay bales, as Dean looks on from the car. They appear to be in a rural area. Eliot Ness walks back to the car. A house is visible across a field. Eliot Ness talks to Dean through the open car window.

“Well, everything's coming up us, kid”

“Talk to me”

“I am” Eliot points out. “The owner of the house, Miss Lila Taylor, age 20, lives alone. Take the car, head back to Ezra, see what she's got. I'm gonna stay here and keep my peepers on the Sheik and the Sheba” Dean hands Eliot Ness his rifle, then drives away. Eliot Ness walks towards the house.

…..............

A stake fashioned from a branch is lying on the table. The pointed end is red.

“That's it?”

“That is a 1,000-year-old olive carved by vestal virgins and dipped in the blood of – you don't want to know. Pulling this together wasn't easy. You and Ness both owe me, smoothie”

“You can have whatever you want...” Dean picks up the stake. “...soon as we gank this thing”

“Yeah, yeah. Take your twig, wise guy”

“Well, now, how's it work?” Dean asks, Ezra walks over to Dean and indicates the pointed end of the stake.

“You stick this end in his heart. Miss, he has you for supper. Make sense?”

“Wait, if I – if I kill Chronos... I'm stuck here”

“You just now realised? Oh, come on. 1944 ain't so bad” Ezra offers.

“Yeah, I could head over to Europe, punch Hitler in the neck” Dean counters dryly looking out the window.

“Oh, there's lots of ways to pass the time, sugar” Ezra counters. “Maybe go find your girl” Dean looks to her. “She's very beautiful”

“Yes” Dean agrees. “She is....”

“You're from the future” Ezra reminds him. “You know how this all works out...” Dean turns away, he sees three addressed envelopes, picks them up and smiles.

“'Back to the Future III'” he whispers then turns back to Ezra. “I need to borrow some paper”

…............

Eliot Ness is behind a car parked in front of Lila’s house.

“Mr. Ness, I presume?” Chronos grabs onto the rifle Eliot Ness is holding and shoves it in his face. “You know, I stopped by the police station to take care of that hunter who rode me here. I heard you took him out of jail. I thought I might see you again” Eliot Ness headbutts Chronos. They struggle and Chronos takes the rifle. Eliot Ness punches Chronos in the face twice. Chronos punches Eliot Ness twice. The second punch sends Eliot Ness crashing through the door of a shed, where he lies unmoving.

“Ethan?” Lila asks as she comes out of the house and stands on the porch. She is holding a bag. “There you are. Can't take the trash out without the trash, silly”

“Sorry, honey. I don't know where I left my head. Be right there” Lila sets the trash down on the porch and goes back inside. Chronos turns back to the shed. Eliot Ness is no longer there.

….............

Dean drives up and parks outside the house that in the present day Sam, Katherine and Jody are staying in. Lights are on. Dean chuckles and drums his hands on the steering wheel.

“Jackpot”

............

Dean walks up to the front door. An old Man is reading a newspaper inside and listening to the radio. Dean knocks. The old man opens the door.

“Can I help you, son?” he asks.

“Yes, sir. I am, uh, Special Agent Costner with the, uh...” Dean holds out his FBI ID. “...Department of Homeland Termite Invasion”

“Termites?” the old man asks.

“Yes, sir. There's been an outbreak all over this area, and I just want to do an inspection, make sure that the, uh, perimeter's secure”

“Yes. Yes, of course. Um, you'd better come in”

“Okay” Dean walks up the stairs as the old Man looks on. Dean turns a light on in a bedroom and moves the bed away from the wall. He puts a pillow from the bed on the floor next to the wall and lies down. The old Man comes into the room. “Is everything okay up here?” Dean leans up on an elbow.

“What?! Oh, yeah – no! No, no. Not to worry, because I'm going to install something that will protect this house forever” The old Man nods. Dean gives him a thumbs-up. The old Man leaves the room and Dean lies back down. Dean looks up and then to his right, and sees the bottom of a door frame on the other side of the room. He gets up, walks over to the door frame, and takes out his switchknife. “Yeah”

….......

Sam crashes face down on his bedroll with his eyes closed. He puts his hands under the bedroll to use as a pillow and moves his head several times to get comfortable. We see the base of the door frame on the other side of the room. Sam turns his head towards the wall next to him, then suddenly snaps his head around to look at the other side of the room. “Sam” is written at the base of the door frame. Sam turns on a portable lamp, takes it across the room and uses his knife to break away the piece of the frame on which his name is written. Behind it is a piece of paper, which he unfolds and reads.

…............

Sam hurries down the stairs. Jody gets up from the table where she sits with Katherine.

“All right. You asked for it. Young man...” Jody puts on her mother voice, Sam holds out the piece of paper. Jody Mills takes it and reads what is written aloud. “'Sammy, turns out Snider is Chronos' Wait, this is from Dean? How...”

“Just read!” Sam tells her as Katherine stands.

“'I rode him to 1944. Am working with Eliot Ness – yes, that one'” Jody looks up at Sam. He smiles. “'Tracked down Chronos. He's banging some chick named Lila Taylor, and we got a weapon. We're going after him. Take care of yourself, Sam'”

“Look at the top”

“November 5, '44” Jody reads.

“So, now we know the exact date Dean had hands on Chronos. All we need is the exact time” Sam tells them.

“Which we get how?” Katherine asks behind him. 

“Hoping...” Sam takes back the letter. “...we ask someone who was there” he answers.

…..............

An older woman is standing, holding a TV remote. Katherine puts her human hand on her shoulder.

“Miss Lila Taylor?” Katherine asks.

“Oh, can you get The Sullivan Show? I want to watch that Frankie Valli” Lilah asks her.

“Um, actually...” Katherine holds up a police badge. “...we're with the police”

“Oh. Is Michael in trouble again?” Lilah turns and starts when she sees Sam. Lilah sits down on a couch. Katherine and Sam sit on footrests nearby. “I told him not to read those comic books”

“No. He's fine” Katherine assures her. “We'd wanted to ask you some questions about this man” Katherine gives Lila an old newspaper photograph of Chronos.

“Ethan. That's Ethan” Lilah tells her.

“Do you remember the last time you saw Ethan?” Katherine asks her.

“Of course. November 1944 – the night the clocks stopped”

“Th-the clocks stopped?” Sam asks.

“11:34. Every clock in the house”

“Ma'am, can you tell us anything else you remember?” Sam asks.

“Ethan... said awful things. And then... and then he strangled that poor man”

“What poor man?”

“Two policemen came to arrest Ethan” Katherine and Sam share a look, he nods to Lilah, Katherine takes Lilah's hand and gives her a reassuring smile.

“Lilah” Katherine states. “Look at me” Lilah looks to Katherine, who then delves into her memories, which are fuzzy and faded with her age, she pulls her hand back and looks to Sam. “Thank you for your time” Katherine states as she stands and walks away, Sam gives Lilah a smile and then follows Katherine.

“Kat” he states catching up to her, she glances to him.

“Dean” she tells him. “It's Dean she meant”

…...........

Dean is walking towards the house carrying a shotgun, then breaks into a jog. He stands behind the car parked in front of the house.

“Ness! Ness!” Dean sees the shed with the broken door. He shines a flashlight inside and sees broken glass and splintered wood.

…...........

Dean walks quietly up the stairs to the house and tries the front door. He puts his gun in his coat.

…...........

Dean picks the lock and enters. He walks into the sitting room and sees light and movement in the gap under a closed door. As he is reaching for his gun, Chronos tackles him and they crash to the floor. They get to their feet, Dean punches Chronos and Chronos punches Dean, sending Dean sprawling into a chair. Chronos prepares to hit Dean again.

“Ethan!” Chronos turns. Eliot is holding Lila from behind and pointing a gun at her stomach.

“Let's talk” Eliot tells him.

…...........

Sam and Jody enter the house and move to the living room where Katherine waits, the pair set items for a spell on the table: bowl, candles, matches. Sam takes an hourglass out of a paper bag and puts it in the bowl, he holds it out to Katherine.

“Here, break this” he tells her, Katherine wraps her fingers around the hour glass and squeezes, the glass shatters in her hand.

…...........

“Please don't hurt her” Chronos begs of Eliot.

“Ethan, what's happening?”

“Yeah, Ethan. What the hell?” Dean agrees with Lilah.

“Lila, I'm sorry, but, you just – everything I said to you is true...”

“Oh, he might have left out a few details. He tell you he's a monster who jumps through time?” Dean asks.

“I'm a God!” Chronos corrects yelling at Dean then speaks softer to Lilah. “Look, I'm not a monster. Listen. I'm the opposite”

“Well, don't forget to tell her about all the people you murdered along the way, boy scout” Eliot points out.

“What?”

“It's not like that. I do it for you, Lila”

“I don't understand”

…............

Sam unfolds a piece of paper and sets it on the table. Jody and Katherine empty ingredients from plastic bags into the bowl. Sam slices his left palm with a knife, Katherine sucks in a breath and turns away.

“Sorry” Sam tells her as he writes “11:34” with his blood on a piece of paper, which he then puts in the bowl.

…...........

The grandfather clock reads 11:32.

“Well, he's not as strong as he used to be” Dean offers. “Isn't that right, Ethan? Now you got to suck people dry. Wild guess – it takes three kills to juice you up”

“Sacrifices. Three sacrifices, and I can control when and where I land. But once I get there, it's never for long before I'm tossed through time again. That's my life, Lila. And all I want is to get back here”

“Because you just love the clean Canton air?” Eliot asks.

“Because I love her! Because I lived the worst existence you can imagine, and then I found you”

“After you killed Tyler Crosby and Cathy Porter?” Eliot asks. “Lila here was gonna be victim number three. Am I right? Don't act like you never killed a soul before you met her, pal. Something tells me you used to kill three saps just for a change of scenery”

“Yes, I did” Chronos steps towards Lila and Eliot Ness.

“Back down” Eliot threatens.

“I-I used to wander, but now I have you”

“I knew Cathy. She used to come into the diner every day” Lilah tells him, behind Chronos, Dean takes something out of his back pocket.

“Lila, please”

“You are a monster”

“No, Lila, please!” Dean prepares to stab Chronos. Chronos sees Lila’s eyes move to Dean and turns to grapple with Dean. Chronos breaks Dean’s hold on the stake and it falls to the floor. Eliot Ness shoots Chronos twice in the back, but this doesn’t stop Chronos from gripping Dean by the throat.

…............

“O khrone parakaloumen se thespizein...” Sam chants, Katherine strikes a match and lights the piece of paper with “11:34” written on it. “...hemin khronon ton mellonta” Flames rise from the bowl.

…...........

A red light glows in Chronos’s chest. Eliot looks at the stake on the floor.

“No!” Chronos grabs Dean from behind with an arm around his neck. The grandfather clock strikes 11:34. Eliot picks up the stake and prepares to throw it to Dean.

“Hey, Untouchable!” Eliot throws the stake and Dean catches it. There is an explosion of red and white light. When it fades, Chronos and Dean are gone.

….........

The room is lit with red light. There is a crashing sound. Chronos and Dean appear and fall to the floor. The stake slides across the floor.

“Dean!” Jody Mills runs to Dean. Chronos stands up.

“Hey!” Sam shouts. Chronos turns towards Sam, blocks his punch and sends Sam sprawling.

“No!” Chronos turns back to Dean, who is still on the floor, with Jody behind him supporting his head. “You! Destroyed everything!”

“Hey, Chronos?!” Katherine states, Chronos turns towards her and she stabs him in the chest with the stake. “Was that the best you got?” she asks him, white light pulses in Chronos’s chest and flickers up his neck. Chronos drops to his knees. He looks up at Katherine.

“You want to know your future? I know your future” Chronos looks at Dean. “It's covered in thick black ooze” Dean looks over Chronos’s head to Katherine. “It's everywhere” Chronos looks back to Katherine. “They're everywhere” Chronos laughs. “Enjoy oblivion” Chronos falls dead.

….............

Dean waits till Sam and Jody leave the room, Sam walking the sheriff to her car, to talk to Katherine, the vampire setting her jacket over her shoulders and pulling her arms through, she goes to leave but he stops her, she looks to him.

“Can we talk?” he asks her.

“Is...have I outstayed my welcome?” she asks him, Dean shakes his head.

“No, that's not....you're fine” Dean takes Katherine's hand and pulls it to his head. “Look” he tells her. “Do that memory thing you do....”

“Dean” she whispers.

“Just, please” he pulls her closer. “Look” she sighs a little and looks him in the eyes as she starts to filter through his memories, she sees 1944 her with Steve and Bucky, with Eliot and Dean, she listens to them talking before pulling her hand back, tears gathering in her eyes.

“You tried to save me” she whispers.

“Yeah, clearly worked out well, here you are” he offers dryly. “You broke your promise”

“I don't remember” she argues. “I don't...” he clasps her face and kisses her softly, before pulling back. “I still got in my car” she whispers, he nods sadly.

“You still got in your car” he agrees.

“I'm....I don't.....remember, I still don't remember.......” she looks down and frowns. “Would I know if something was different?” she asks looking to him.

“I...” Dean starts and then shakes his head. “No” he answers. “I don't think you would”

“Oh” she breaths and looks away from him, she takes a moment to herself, thinking over the memory before she smiles a little. “Thank you” she offers him, he frowns as she turns back to him. “You've just given me a memory of me with Bucky” he smiles at her.

“You're welcome” he responds softly brushing her hair back. “I tried” he states, she nods.

“I know....but it's okay” she assures him. “I'm not worth saving” she tells him sadly as she takes a step back from him. She gives him a shrug before walking away leaving him alone.

..............

“Everything okay?” Sam asks sitting with Katherine who nods a little, her fingers ghosting over the keyboard keys of the laptop in front of her, Sam had offered to help her dig a bit into her family, see if she can't figure out what happened to them.

“Bucky was the Winter Soldier” she whispers, Sam looks to her sadly. “All those times I trained with him....” she looks to Sam. “I never knew. He never said and this....” she motions to the screen. “Vienna”

“I know” Sam offers. “I remember watching it when it broke....” she looks to him.

“Do you ever wonder what it would have been like?” she asks.

“What?” he counters.

“Normality” she answers, he offers her a sad smile and nods.

“Yeah, I do. I used to think about it all the time”

“Bucky used to tease me and Steve” she tells him absent-mindedly as if it's just rolling off her tongue. “That Steve'd marry me and we'd have these ridiculously beautiful children”

“Katherine” Sam whispers, she looks to him, he gives her a look.

“Oh” she breaths realising and then looks away. “That was....”

“Do you remember that?” she shakes her head.

“No” she answers. “It just....came out” she admits. “I didn't even think about it. But there is no memory there, no pictures, or voices.....”

“But it's a start” Sam tells her. “It means that those memories are still in there” he motions to her head. “They're not gone just locked away” he smiles at her. “It's crazy” Sam tells her. “If we'd found you a few months earlier we had a guy that could have cleared this all up”

“Really?” she asks. He nods.

“Cas” he answers. “He'd know just what to do” Dean leaves the bathroom behind them, looks between the two of them. 

“Hey, you two ready to hit the road?” Dean asks them, Sam pats Katherine's arm and nods.

“Yeah, we're ready” Sam answers, Dean takes a flask out of his jacket, shakes it and unscrews the lid. “Is that Bobby’s?” Dean takes a drink. “I didn’t know you kept that”

“Yeah, mine sprung a leak”

“You know, most people would just carry a – a photo or something for a memento” Katherine offers with a smirk.

“I’m – I’m – I’m honoring the guy, all right? This is, uh, grief therapy” Dean waves the flask at her, they share a soft look.

…..................

Sam is leaning against a Jeep reading a newspaper, Katherine sits in the open back door drinking through a straw and a black secure cup, Sam glances to her and then away, her eyes flickering to him, a smirk twitching at her lips.

“Ask” she tells him.

“Do I want to?” he asks back, she shakes the cup at him and he raises an eyebrow taking it from her, he lifts the lid and smirks. “Whiskey?” he asks, she nods. “It's 10am” he points out handing the cup back, she takes it.

“It helps with the cravings” she points out.

“So everything still works?” he asks amused.

“I still sleep, and pee, if that's what you mean” she answers. “And I can eat....”

“You really are pretty much human” he offers, she raises an eyebrow at him.

“Apart from the fact I died and I have to consume blood to survive?” he nods.

“Yeah, apart from that” he agrees, she shakes her head and goes back to her drink. Sam shares a look with Dean who shrugs smirking away. The phone in a nearby phone booth rings. Dean looks to Katherine who stands and hands him her drink before opening the booth door and grabbing the phone.

“Hello?” she asks and then rolls her eyes. “Seriously, Frank, pay phones? I mean, come on. I – I'm getting the clap off this thing just touching it” She complains. “Fred Savage? Really?” she asks shooting Dean a look, Dean smiles back. “Yeah, no, I know, big mouths are everywhere. Uh, well, since you asked, some actual intel on this Dick Roman guy would be nice.......Fine. All right......Yeah, good looking out” The phone clicks as Frank ends the call. Katherine hangs up, scowls at her hand and walks over to the brothers. “I hope he finds something quick”

“Yeah. This whole protocol du jour thing's really creeping my cheese” Dean agrees.

“So, we got dick on Dick?” Sam asks, Katherine shoots him a look.

“That's a vivid way of putting it” she tells him

“So we got a case?” Dean asks. Sam holds up the Wichita Sun. The headline is “Peculiar death baffles authorities.”

“...I might have found something over in Kansas”

“All right, well, let's do it” Dean agrees and hands Katherine her drink back.

…....................

A doctor pulls back a sheet from the body of a middle-aged man. The body is covered in circular raised sores of various sizes that appear to have been made by tentacles. Dean and Sam are wearing their FBI suits, Katherine is dressed in her black leather trousers and her hoody, though the hood is down and her hair pulled up into a ponytail.

“Ohh. Those are not the fun kind of hickeys” Dean states.

“You're – you're saying an octopus did this?” Sam asks.

“Not just any octopus. Based on welt diameter, Enteroctopus dofleini” The doctor answers.

“And for those of us who skipped the enteroctopus class?” Dean asks.

“Giant Pacific octopus” Katherine answers, Dean and Sam look to her surprised, she shrugs.

“How giant we talking, Kat?” Dean asks her.

“Approximately 30 feet” Sam laughs briefly at her answers.

“I mean, aren't... giant octopi rare around here?”

“Yet here we are” the doctor offers.

“All right, so what happens? Guy comes home, cracks a beer, and gets... suckered to death?” Dean asks.

“Obviously, this was some kind of freak fetish attack. Someone created those hickey marks, then bled the man out” The doctor turns the dead man’s head to expose a wound on the side of his throat.

….....................

Sam and Dean walk through the hallways with Katherine between them.

“That bite look a little vamp-y to you?” Dean asks.

“Yeah, no question” they both look to Katherine, she shrugs.

“Maybe” she offers, they both shoot her a look. “I've....never met another vampire before” she admits.

“What?” Dean asks. “How's that....?”

“I just haven't” she quickly interrupts.

“Alright” Dean assures her. “So what are we looking for? An octovamp? A vamptopus?”

“That's crazy even for us, right?” Sam teases.

“It does push the envelope. Let's go chat up the widow” Dean teases and pulls Katherine closer, she frowns at him. “It's a joke” he assures her.

“Why?” she asks. “We're having sex...that's it, right? You can...flirt, sleep with....whoever you want” she shrugs out of his arm and walks away, Sam shoots Dean a look.

“She didn't mean that” Sam points out. “She's trying to hide it but...”

“I picked up on it” Dean assures Sam. “I know....” Dean looks to Sam. “You think I go out of my way to talk to everyone in 1944 and talk them out of pretty much killing themselves?” He asks.

“You did what?” Sam asks, Dean shrugs a little.

“Yeah, I met human Katherine” Dean admits. “She was....happy. With her brother...and Dude...Captain America. I met Captain America before he was an Avenger....blew Eliot Ness out the freakin' water....”

“But Katherine?” Sam asks.

“I told her to not get in her car the night of her accident. I tried to stop her....everything Hydra did to her...I thought I could save her”

“But here she is” Sam whispers, Dean nods.

“Yep, here she is”


	11. Chapter Ten

At the widow's house, Sam and Dean talk to Mrs Harper, Katherine is waiting in the car outside rather then having to deal with another person. She's already dealing with two more then she has in years, and that sometimes gets on her nerves and she likes Sam and Dean. Plus she wants to do more research on Bucky. He's still a fugitive along with Captain America, but she knows how to track these sorts of people, she can track another Hydra asset that is also her brother. Dean keeps glancing out the window to the car to 'check' on her.

“We're very sorry for your loss, ma'am” Sam tells Mrs Harper.

“Mrs. Harper, we know this is, uh, bad timing. But we just have a few routine questions that we need to ask you – is that okay?” Dean asks her.

“Yeah”

“Did the house feel any different lately?” Sam asks her.

“Different...?” Mrs Harper asks.

“Anything strange. Cold spots. Uh, did you smell anything weird? Maybe sulfury?” Dean counter asks.

“No. Not that I can remember”

“Okay, we're just ticking all the boxes here. Um, what about any skeletons in your husband's closet?” Dean adds.

“Skeletons? What do you mean?”

“Can you think of anybody who would want to do him harm? A colleague, an old flame?”

“The tiniest detail could really help” Sam assures Mrs Harper.

“You want to know what he was up to lately? Ask Stacey. She was here the night he died”

“Um... Stacey?” Sam asks.

“Our nanny. Any other questions?” Mrs. Harper asks them.

“No, that's... Thank you. You've been a big help” Dean and Sam get up to leave. “Really appreciate the hospitality, ma'am” A little girl watches from the top of the stairs as Dean and Sam leave the house.

.........................

Sam and Dean walk back to the impala, Dean a little faster then Sam, Sam is highly amused.

“Mom, dad, nanny – boy, that is a love triangle right out of Casa Erotica. 'Course, in those, the jealous wife tends to channel her feelings more productively” Dean states.

“The only thing I can't wrap my mind around is...”

“What, how wife lady summoned an octovamp?” Dean asks him.

“More like "why?" I mean, kind of impractical, right?”

“Yeah. All right, one of us needs to go talk to the naughty nanny” Dean walks around to the driver’s side of the car. “The other one stay here, shake down the place when the wife leaves – see what we're dealing with”

“All right. I'm on the nanny” Sam states. Dean taps his fingers on the car top and then nods.

“All right” he agrees, Sam pulls a confused face.

“All right?” Sam asks, Dean nods.

“Yeah” Dean answers. “Me and Kat can scope the house” Sam gives him a look. “Shut up” Dean scolds throwing the car keys at Sam before knocking on the back window, Katherine climbs out of the car and gives him a look. “You and me we're staying here....”

“You know I can't get into the house without being invited in, right?” she asks him, he nods and gives Sam a look, Sam smirks and climbs into the car sliding over the bench to the drivers seat.

…............

Dean sits on a bench on the phone to Sam, after he spoke to the nanny.

“Hey, we talked to the wrong person” Sam tells him.

“What?” Dean asks .

“Yeah, forget the mom. Talk to the daughter. She's mad at her dad for ditching her birthday”

“So, what do you think? A birthday wish gone wrong, something like that?” Dean asks.

“I don't know. It could be”

…............

Katherine stands across the street watching Kelly draw in chalk on the footpath outside the house.

…............

Kelly is drawing what appears to be an octopus on the footpath outside the house.

“Whatcha working on there?” Katherine asks.

“I know who you are” Kelly tells her.

“You do?” Katherine asks.

“Mm-hmm. You're with those FBI guys that talked to my mom”

“That's right. I am”

“Kelly! Where are you, honey?” Mrs Harper shouts from inside the house.

“Something wrong?” Katherine asks as Kelly jumps.

“My mom will get mad if I talk to you” Katherine crouches down in front of Kelly.

“How come?”

“Because of what I told the police”

“And what did you tell the police?” Katherine asks her.

“I told them that I tried to warn my dad. That the monster would get him” Mrs Harper opens the front door.

“Kelly. Come here! Now! Kelly!” Kelly runs into the house. Mrs Harper looks unsmilingly at Katherine and closes the door. Katherine looks at the picture Kelly drew: an octopus with sharp teeth and an unfriendly expression.

…..............

Katherine sits in front of her laptop as Sam and Dean sleep in their motel beds, she presses play on the video loaded on the screen, she'd hacked into the Smithsonian servers and found all the footage saved for the Captain America exhibit. She figured they'd have researched Steve's pre-Cap years, which included her and Bucky.

“Denied enlistment due to poor health, Steven Rogers was chosen for a program unique in the annals of American warfare. One that would transform him into the world's first super soldier” the narrator on the clip states, she clicks onto the next one. “Battle tested, Captain America and his Howling Commandos quickly earned their stripes. Their mission, taking down HYDRA, the Nazi rogue science division” she clicks onto the next video. “Best friends since childhood, Bucky Barnes and Steven Rogers were inseparable on both schoolyard and battlefield. Barnes is the only Howling Commando to give his life in service of his country” Dean touches Katherine's shoulder and she looks up at him tearful.

“You know he's alive” he corrects, she nods a little and gives a sad smile.

“I know” she whispers as he sits at her side. “Just...weird hearing about my own brother from....strangers” he brushes her hair over her shoulder.

“You can't sleep?” he asks.

“Not very often and not for very long” she answers. “Par for the course when you're an assassin” she admits. “You can't sleep for too long just in case someone finds you...you need to be alert, ready for anything...” she looks to him. “Surely as a hunter you must understand that” he nods and brushes his fingers over her arm.

“When was the last time you slept?”

“In the car” she answers, he raises an eyebrow.

“When?” she wrinkles her nose.

“Back when we went to rescue Sam” she admits.

“That was three weeks ago” he scolds a little.

“I would say I'll sleep when I'm dead” she starts. “But I'm already dead” she shrugs a little and then stands. “I should shower though” she starts to walk away as Dean looks at the computer.

“There's another video” Dean tells her, she glances back over her shoulder. “Don't you want to watch it?” she turns to him fully and nods. He turns the laptop slightly so she can see it and then presses play. On the screen: Bucky sits with Steve on the video, deployed somewhere cold, and wrapped up tight.

“Katherine?” Bucky asks. “Wow, what can we say about Katherine?” he and Steve share a look before Bucky smiles back at the camera. “My sister is....she is...the most beautiful girl you will ever met” he answers. “And not just...because she has this perfect olive skin, and big bright eyes, but because when she talks to you she does in a way that makes you feel like....” Bucky looks to Steve. “The most important person in the world” Bucky finishes.

“And she has this laugh” Steve adds. “It is ridiculous. I mean, her laugh makes you laugh. And she is fun. She knows how to have a good time”

“She's incredible” Bucky adds. “And sorry, Steve, but Katherine is my best friend. I honestly don't know what I'd do without her” the video cuts out and Dean looks to Katherine who is crying.

“Hey” he stands and moves to her. He brushes her tears from her cheek and pulls her into his chest, she cries against him, he just holds her.

….......................

Dean pulls on his jacket watching Katherine sleep in 'his' bed, one of his shirts, Sam leaves the bathroom and yawns.

“What's going on?” Sam asks.

“Another attack” Dean answers. “I'm going to check it out” Sam motions to Katherine. “Let her sleep” Dean warns Sam. “She had a rough night” Sam raises an eyebrow. “Not like that” Dean points out. “Just...leave her be” he then leaves Sam and Katherine alone. Sam smirks amused and shakes his head moving to his laptop, opening it he finds the Bucky video and nods understanding now.

.......

Sam shrugs out of his jacket as he returns from the library, both for research on the case and for research for Katherine. He knows what it's like to be away from a brother, from family, so he knows how much she is suffering, and yeah, he's come to like her, for a vampire. He looks to the bathroom door as it open and Katherine steps out in her underwear, she jumps seeing Sam and tries to cover herself up.

“I didn't hear you” she complains a little.

“Sorry” he offers eyes lingering on her arm and leg, he's not noticed and though Dean told him, seeing them is something else. He grabs Dean's shirt from the bed and holds it out to her, she snatches it from him slightly and pulls it on. “I urm...I didn't know what you liked so I got you coffee and a muffin” she nods doing the buttons up on the shirt. “And I stopped at the library” he moves to the table and unpacks the brown bag to pull out breakfast, setting them next to the file. “I printed off everything I could find”

“About what?” she asks moving towards him.

“Well....you” he answers. “And Bucky....” she looks from him to the file and takes a seat. “I know you and Frank have done....years worth of research but....I urm”

“Thank you” she tells him opening the file and grabbing the coffee, she turns and grabs her backpack from the floor and pulls it closer to take her hip flask from it, Sam shakes his head slightly but gets it, she drinks to stop herself from killing people, it's a better reason then why Dean does it. Sam's cellphone rings and he pulls it from his pocket as he sits across from Katherine.

“Hey” he greets answering the phone.

“Hey. You remember a chain called Plucky Pennywhistle's?” Dean asks, Sam pauses, stiffening slightly, Katherine watches him.

“No” Sam answers.

“Really? Could have swore you loved those places”

“No, dude, I hated them. Uh, you would dump me and go trolling for chicks” Sam answers.

“It's not like I left you in jail. I mean, those places are supposed to be fun” Dean argues.

“Fun? Uh, they're lame. And they smell like puke. And the ice cream is all grainy”

“All right, don't have one of your episodes, okay?” Dean teases, Katherine smirks a little looking back to the file, Sam gently kicks her under the table, she chuckles.

“Stop laughing, Kat” Sam scolds, Dean chuckles down the phone.

“I'm just saying I hit a dead end with this whole wishes-gone-wild thing, but both kids were at Plucky's day of. Look, why don't you go check out the local Plucky's......and ask about this Billy kid? Take Kat with you”

“Look, man, w-why don't I just... why don't I just wait for you to get back?” Sam asks nervously.

“No can do, Hermano. I'm on my way to talk to little Billy”

“Why – why – why don't I talk to Billy right now?” Sam asks, Dean laughs.

“Wait, wait, wait. This isn't about your, uh, your clown thing, is it?” Dean asks.

“What?! No!”

“Sammy?” Dean asks.

“No”

“Yeah, what in the world did they do to you?” Dean asks. “All right, you know what? Never mind. Just know that 99.99%......of all clowns can't hurt you. Okay? And if it bleeds you can kill it” Dean shakes his head and hangs up.

“If it bleeds, you can kill it” Sam whispers to himself, Katherine looks to him.

“Clowns?” she asks. “Guess that explains why Dean had me make you dream of them....” she mumbles.

…...............

Sam parks outside of Plucky Pennywhistle's Magical Menagerie. A sign on the awning of the building reads “Where all your dreams are good!”.

“I'm too old for this” He mumbles, Katherine shoots him a look. “You're too old for this” he adds.

…................

Sam and Katherine enter the Menagerie. A recorded message says “Welcome to Plucky Pennywhistle’s! Have fun!” Sam flinches at a large picture of a clown on a wall and exhales sharply. Katherine walks to the ticket counter, which is manned by a staff member, Howard. Sam follows her, he passes a mechanical clown that laughs and says “Welcome to Plucky Pennywhistle’s!” as its jaw moves. Sam eyes it several times.

“Welcome to Plucky’s, where all your dreams are good” Howard greets Katherine.

“Could you get the manager for me?” she compels him, Howard nods and walks off.

“Okay. Having you around is handy” Sam tells her, Katherine smiles a little. They both walk further into the room, past the mechanical clown and a clown-shaped sign that says “You must be this tall to play here.” Sam appears very uncomfortable. He looks up at a large clown head mounted on a pillar and blinks. Katherine touches his arm and he jerks a little looking to her, he nods at her. A person in a lion costume poses for a photograph. A young WOMAN employee crouches down next to a young boy who is seated at a child-sized table.

“I just need you to stay sane for three more hours. Okay? Here. Finish your homework” The woman walks away. Her name tag reads Libby.

“Like I can concentrate in here” Libby pauses, but doesn't turn around. Katherine looks at a wall hung with paper placemats that say “Draw your worst fear... Plucky will make your fear disappear.” The drawings include a shark and various monsters. A name tag on the wall says 'Kelly Harper'

“Real beauties, huh? We rotate them out once a week. Kids love having their art on the wall” the manager tells her.

“Draw your worst fear'?” Katherine asks, the manager's name tag reads Jean.

“I know. But we don't post the truly evil stuff – just the standard crap like sharks and ghosts” Jean holds out a hand to Katherine as Sam walks back towards her.

“Jean Holiday, shift manager” Katherine looks to the outstretched hand and flexes her metal fingers, Sam takes Jean's hand.

“Johnson, FBI” he introduces. “And this is my partner. Agent Harrison. So tell me – why even ask the kids to draw creepy stuff to begin with?”

“It's just an exercise... some pop psychologist came up with” Jean answers. “Plus, the owner's obsessed with aiding children's development. So, the place mat is a safe way to get kids to talk about their fears. You know, we get them to sketch it in a little box, and – voila! – Plucky magically transforms it into rainbows and candy. Personally, I think it's a load of hooey, but they say that if these fears run wild, then it affects kids long into their adulthood” A laughing clown walks between Jean, Katherine and Sam and gets very close to Sam's face. Sam leans back.

“Yeah, I've – I've – I've heard that” Sam mumbles.

“I don't know if you'll remember, but there was a kid in here yesterday named Billy Pogue for a party?” Katherine

“Oh, the conniption kid”

“Conniption? He had..” Katherine start.

“No, no, no, not him” Jean quickly corrects. “He was fine. It was his dad. He pulls the kid away before cake and presents, and I guess the kid asked to stay for another five minutes. The dad pulls a full-frontal douchebag, starts screaming. Just embarrassed for the kid”

…............

Sam makes a call on his phone. As he is waiting for it to be answered, a janitor whistles to attract his attention.

“Hey” the janitor whistles again. “Hey” The janitor looks around to see who is watching. Sam pushes a button to end the call and walks over to the janitor. “You a cop?”

“Uh, yeah. I'm a Fed”

“Uh, what are you investigating?”

“Couple of crazy deaths. Why, is there something you want to share?” Sam asks.

“Look – not now. Too many eyes. Come back after closing” the janitor then walks away.

…..........

Back at the motel Dean is taking food in paper boxes out of a bag. The boxes have chopsticks attached. Sam and Katherine enter.

“Hey. So, what's the lowdown with trauma town?” Dean asks, Sam makes a face and Dean smiles.

“I can tell you this much. Neither vic was up for parent of the year. Kelly's dad skipped her birthday, and Billy's dad pulled one of those Dick Parent scenes that makes everyone cringe” Katherine puts some of the placemats from Plucky Pennywhistle’s down in front of Dean.

“What the hell are these?” he asks her.

“Kid therapy. You draw your worst nightmare” She holds up her hands. “Poof!” she makes the motions with her hands and then lowers them. “Plucky fixes it. They hang them up on this big wall” Dean looks through the placemats.

“Well, can't argue with this. Leprechauns are deadly” he teases showing Katherine the drawing, she smiles a little. “Okay, so, Kelly draws a monster, and then that goes after her father? That's what we're saying?” Dean asks.

“Well, here's the thing. They label those” Katherine points out. “And guess which two were missing. Well, name tag was there – no place mat”

“Little Miss Octovamp”

“Yeah. And... Billy” Sam adds. “So... somehow, whatever he drew came to life and killed his dad, riding a horse” Sam pokes at his food with chopsticks.

“Close, but no Seabiscuit. See, I went and had a little chat with Billy. And he drew me this” Dean unfolds a piece of paper on which is drawn a unicorn with a rainbow-colored tail. A person is impaled on the unicorn’s horn.

“Wait. So now unicorns are evil?” Katherine asks, Sam and Dean look to her surprised. “What?” she asks them.

“Yeah. Obviously” Dean tells her with a smirk.

“Great” Katherine snarks back, Dean and Katherine share a look.

“Well, now the question is, how did a unicorn come off a sketch and kill Billy's dad? How's any of this happening?” Sam asks them, Dean rubs his chopsticks together and prepares to eat.

.............

At Penny's Jean is counting money behind the ticket counter. The janitor walks past carrying a backpack.

“Well, that's it for me. Guess I'll head out” he tells her.

“Uh, one more thing. Some kid puked in the ball pit. It's gonna need a full sanitization. Do that, and then you can clock out” Jean tells him.

…...........

The janitor is knee-deep in balls in the ball pit, using a large suction tube to suck up the balls. Something appears to be moving under the balls behind him.

“Aah! Aah” The janitor reaches a hand down to one leg. When he takes his hand away, it is covered with blood. He looks around the ball pit. Something grabs him from behind and pulls him down as he yells. He gets back to his feet. Something moves under the balls in front of him. He flails for the side of the pit, but is dragged back. He tries again to get out and is dragged under the balls. All is still for a few moments, then the janitor reappears. He looks frantically in all directions, then is pulled under the balls again. A moment later, blood splashes against the glass wall of the ball pit.

…...............

Dean pulls on his jacket, Katherine sleeps on his bed, in his shirt, he watches her. Her metal hand hidden under the pillow, he knows she has her fingers wrapped around some form of weapon. He looks over her, in his shirt, he loves that she's in his shirt. She's even got metal toes, that twitch and curl and he can't even begin to think how they did that, he smiles a little as she shifts in her sleep curling up tighter. Sam leaves the bathroom and glances to Dean, who is watching Katherine with an expression Sam's only ever seen when Dean looks at the impala....or pie. Sam smirks a little and shakes his head.

“You're not going to wake her?” Sam asks.

“Nah, let her sleep” Dean answers and grabs his car keys before they leave.

…................

Dean and Sam, arrive in the car Dean has been driving.

…..................

Two police cars and an ambulance are outside the building. EMTs wheel the janitor's body, covered with a sheet, out of the building on a stretcher. Dean holds up his FBI badge.

“Hold on one second there, guys” He stops them. Sam is talking to Jean in the background.

“Keep in touch” Sam tells her as Dean looks under the sheet. “Uh, thank you” Sam walks over to Dean.

“So?” Dean asks.

“The manager found the body in the ball pit. Blood everywhere”

“Cops have a theory?” Dean asks.

“Yeah, they think the ball washer did it”

“The what?”

“The... ball washer” Sam answers, Dean smiles.

“The what?” he repeats.

“The ball...” Sam holds up his hands in frustration.

“Look at this” Dean lifts the sheet covering the body. Sam raises his eyebrows and inhales. “Thank you, gentlemen” the EMTs wheel the body away. “That's a shark bite” Dean points out.

“Yeah”

“And, uh, judging from the radius, I'd say a 20-footer, at least” Dean tells him, Sam looks sceptical. “Shark Week, man. How do you not watch that?” Sam walks away. “Whole week of sharks” Dean adds following.

…...............

Sam and Dean are looking at the wall of placemats, using flashlights. Sam removes a name tag from the wall.

“Omar Cooper. How much you want to bet little Omar here was scared of sharks?” Sam asks.

“Saul the janitor is connected how? I mean, he's not related to Omar”

“No. But Saul had something he wanted to tell me and Kat” Sam answers.

“So this isn't about ganking some dickweed parent”

“More like, uh, silencing a whistle-blower?” Sam adds.

“Great, so whatever we're looking for can literally fire off childhood fears at will. Wow. Watch out for evil lunch ladies” Sam is holding an EMF reader.

“All right. Let's comb this place” Sam walks off. Dean takes an EMF reader out of his jacket pocket.

“Seriously. Dractopus. Seabiscuit the impaler. Land shark – what's next?” Dean asks himself as he walks away.

….................

Dean kicks off his boots and collapses onto the motel bed, Katherine jerks awake sitting upright with her gun, she looks around the room. Sam holds up his hands.

“Kat” Sam states. “It's us” Dean places his hand on her thigh and sits up.

“Katherine Barnes” he states, she looks to him. “You remember?” he asks her, she nods and lowers her gun. “Good girl” he teases slightly and takes her gun off of her. “You're all right, sweetheart” he assures her setting it back under her pillow. She watches him, he pats the pillow and she lays back down next to him, he keeps his arm under her neck. “There we go” he whispers stroking her hair. He looks to Sam who lowers his hands and then heads into the bathroom to change.

“Did you find anything?” Katherine asks Dean who shakes his head.

“Nothing” he answers, brushing his fingers through her hair and smiles a little. “Have you been asleep this whole time?” he asks her, she shakes her head.

“No, I went for something to eat. Scoped the perimeter.....”

“Scoped the perimeter?” he asks teasingly. “Alright, little miss assassin”

“It's habit” she mumbles.

“You know Hydra are gone, right?” he asks her.

“They will never be gone” she whispers turning onto her side, her back to him, he sighs softly and strokes her arm. Sam leaves the bathroom and glances to them before crawling into the other bed.

….........................

Dean is turning pages of John’s journal at the table, letting Katherine read it, she's been getting confused on monsters. Sam is sitting across from Dean and Katherine at the table, using the laptop.

“Maybe a... Tulpa?” Sam asks.

“No, killings are too spread out”

“True. Um... angel?” Sam counter asks, Katherine looks up and to Dean who nods at her.

“It's a little imaginative for the God squad, don't you think?” Dean tells Sam. Sam sighs.

“All right. So... what?”

“Yeah, I don't know. I'm tapped out”

“Well, whatever it is, at least we know where it is” Katherine offers, Dean nods.

“Plucky's!” he agrees.

“That's where the victims are getting picked up” Katherine tells them.

“Yeah, but we swept the place last night, and nada” Dean points out.

“I can go back. Go to the employees, maybe dig up something” Katherine offers.

“What good's that gonna do? They think you're a Fed. The one guy who was gonna rat, he got Bruce'd. If anybody knows anything, they're not gonna tell you”

“You know I can make people do stuff with my mind?” she asks him giving him a look. “Like tell the truth” Sam smirks a little.

“All right” Sam claps his hands once. “Yep. That's the plan” Sam stands up. “Kat'll go back....do her....mind trick thingy”

“Compulsion” Katherine offers.

“Compulsion” Sam agrees as he walks towards the bathroom.

“And...?” Dean asks.

“And... when I'm done, then you and Sam watch them” Katherine offers, Sam nods.

“So if somebody freaks out, then that's our creep” Dean catches on. .

“Or he'll lead us closer, and you can track him” Katherine adds.

“Well, what's my cover?”

“I don't know. Just hang back. Act normal” Sam offers, then goes into the bathroom and closes the door.

“Yeah, yeah. Guy in his thirties hanging out at Plucky's alone – that's normal. That's not pervy at all” Dean teases, Katherine smirks and looks down at John's journal.


	12. Chapter Eleven

At Plucky's Jean is talking to another employee, Katherine walks towards them, Sam and Dean split up and busy themselves around the playhouse.

“So, it doesn't matter what people say. We've roped it off. I've notified the powers that be. Everyone's aware” Katherine walks up and clears her throat loudly. “Just no one goes in the...”

“Hello” Katherine greets.

“Agent. I bet I know why you're here” Jean offers.

“How's business?”

“Turns out not even grim flippin' death can slow down the birthday fun”

“Oh” Katherine raises an eyebrow.

“We roped off the ball pit, though, until corporate can get here. I just can't believe the machine fritzed and did Saul in like that”

“Yeah, that makes two of us. I'm gonna need to talk to some of your employees” Katherine tells her.

“Like who?” Jean asks.

“Like you” Katherine answers somewhat menacingly. Jean leads the way to the back. Dean is sitting at a table in the restaurant area watching. A girl walks past him carrying a large rainbow-colored slinky. Dean looks around and gets up. Howard is behind a counter. Behind him are shelves stocked with novelty items, including the giant slinky. Below it is a sign that reads “1000”.

“Howdy, friend” Dean raises a hand towards the giant slinky.

“Giant slinky. Would have killed for one of those when I was a kid. How much?”

“1,000 tickets”

“American dinero. How much?”

“Oh, we don't take cash here at Plucky Pennywhistle's. Only tickets won through hard work and determination”

“You mainlined the kool-aid, huh?” Dean asks, Howard laughs. Dean looks unamused.

“It's double-ticket Tuesday if you play skeeball” A boy walks up to the counter holding up a string of tickets. “Howdy, friend!”

…..................

In the staff break room Jean is seated at a table. Katherine sits across from her.

“So, where were you last night?” Katherine compels.

“Well, here. Obviously. I found him. But I was by the cash register the whole time. There's a security camera pointed right at the counter. The cops already looked at it”

“And you heard nothing?”

“I heard the ball blaster. I didn't hear him. If I did, I would have run in, of course”

“Yeah, right, right”

“Look, I know I'm new to this job, but I'm...” Katherine blinks and frowns a little.

“What? How new?” Katherine compels.

“Couple weeks. I just got promoted”

“So, uh, was there a lot of competition for the job?”

“I guess. It comes with benefits. The bosses had us all write essays about how we would do our best for the kids, and they picked me. Don't be shocked, but I actually did two semesters at college, so... I'm not in any kind of trouble, am I?”

“I don't know. Why don't you tell me?” Katherine asks.

“Look, I know I'm not perfect, but I'm trying. And, I mean, it's not as if I'd ever do anything illegal” Katherine slams a hand on the table and leans over close to Jean.

“Sure you wouldn't” she states.

…...................

A ball hits the “30” ring of the skeeball machine. Dean beams. He tears off the three tickets that come out of the machine and looks less pleased. Jean comes out of the break room. Dean tosses another ball, which goes into a “100” ring, but doesn’t wait to collect the tickets. He follows Jean as she grabs a jacket and goes outside through an “Employees Only” door. He watches as she lights a joint.

…..................

Katherine receives a text from “Winchester. D.”: “High Times not our gal.” Howard is reading a FBI business card that Sam set up for Katherine.

“Special Agent? Wow!” Howard laughs. “I want you to know, ma'am, that I really appreciate what you do, and....”

“Quiet” Katherine compels.

…..................

A chubby boy is kneeling on the skeeball machine putting the balls directly into the rings.

“Hey! Stop cheating!” Tyler shouts. The boy looks at Tyler and goes back to what he was doing.

“You heard him. Knock it off” Dean tells him. The boy gets off the machine and runs away.

“Jackass” Tyler and Dean state together. Tyler and Dean look at each other. Dean smiles. Libby walks towards Tyler carrying a piece of pizza on a plate.

“Tyler, soup's on” Tyler walks over to a child-sized table and sits down. Libby has put the plate down in front of his seat. Dean takes the tickets from the skeeball machine left by the boy who was cheating.

“But, Mom, I don't want...”

“Just eat it”

“But it sucks!” Libby sighs and walks away. Tyler moves the plate to one side, pulls a placemat on which he is drawing a picture closer to him, and picks up a pencil.

“Hey, why don't you cut her some slack?” Dean asks.

“What do you care?”

“Because I've been where you are”

“Your mom made you camp at a stupid Plucky's after school?”

“Y– no. No, but my dad, he... hauled me places. Besides, she's working a tough gig” Dean nods towards Libby, who is cleaning up a spill in the restaurant area. “You know? She's exhausted. You should take pity on the old. And, hey, free grub”

“That stuff tastes like butt”

“What? Come on, it can't be that bad” Dean picks up Tyler’s plate. “Let's see here” Dean takes a bit of the pizza and chews. “Ah...” Dean spits the pizza out. “That is butt” Dean puts the plate down. Tyler smiles. Dean looks at Tyler’s drawing, which is of a robot with red beams coming from its eyes. “You scared of robots?” Dean asks.

“They have laser eyes” Tyler tells him.

“Yes”

….....................

Howard walks past Sam from the break room. A child tugs on his vest from behind.

“Excuse me”

“Howdy, friend! What's your name?” Howard asks, he and the child shake hands.

“Evan”

“Hi” Sam takes out his phone.

…....................

Sam receives a text from “Winchester, S”: “Nope.” Someone is a lion costume is seated at the table. Katherine is standing.

“Lose the head” she tells him, a young man lifts off the head of the costume. “Why'd you do it?”

“Do... what?”

“I think you know” Katherine states.

“I... I got rights. You can't...” Katherine shoves the chair on the other side of the table out of the way and leans over with her hands on the table.

“I'm the federal government. I can do whatever I want” Katherine tells him, okay she may be enjoying this way too much, the young man holds up his hands.

“Okay. I'll talk” Katherine takes a step back from the table. The young man throws the lion head at her and runs for the door.

“Dean!” She shouts running after him. “Sam!”

…....................

The young man runs past Dean and Sam. Dean and Sam give chase. Sam comes to a halt for a moment when his path is blocked by a clown.

…....................

The young man runs out the Employees Only door, followed by Dean and then Sam. Cliff rounds a corner as Dean gets closer.

“Hey! Hey! Come here!” Dean grabs the tail of the lion costume. It comes off in his hand and he throws it away.

“Hey!” Katherine appears at vamp-speed and shoves the young man against the wall, her hand around his throat, Dean slows and catches his breath. Katherine looks to him. “You okay there?” she teases slightly, Dean shoots her a look and leans up.

“If this is about the meth lab that fireballed up in Butte, it wasn't me. Okay, it was my brother, but, um, we got the same fingerprints, and... Please. This is the best job I ever had” the young man tells Katherine.

“All right, look, uh...” she starts and looks to the young man.

“Cliff”

“Cliff. You're not using kids' nightmares to kill people, are you, Cliff?” she compels, he shakes his head.

“No” he answers, Katherine releases him back onto his feet. “What's going on?”

“All right, cards up. Yeah, we don't care that you, you know, broke bad or whatever” Dean answers. “But there is some seriously weird going on in there”

“You mean the sub-basement” Cliff offers.

“This place has a sub-basement?” Sam asks.

“Sure. Door's out back. Easy to miss if you don't know”

“What's in there?” Katherine asks.

“Alls I know is... Me and Saul used to come in after hours sometimes and...” Cliff laughs. “You ever shroom in a ball pit?” Cliff, still laughing, turns to look at Sam. He wipes the smile off his face. “Not that I...would, agents. It was Saul. Just Saul. All alone. Anyway... Sometimes we'd hear, like, spooky stuff, through the vents... Coming up from the boiler room”

…................

Libby, carrying a bag, walks towards Tyler’s table. She puts an arm around Tyler’s shoulders and they walk together.

“Okay, kiddo. Let's go” Libby tells him.

“But somebody stole it!” Libby stops and takes Tyler’s face in her hands. Sam and Dean are watching.

“So, draw another one! Okay? We gotta go” Libby takes Tyler’s hand. Tyler sees Dean, who gives Tyler a look.

“Okay. I'm sorry”

“Thank you”

“That place mat sucked anyway” Libby and Tyler walk off. Dean walks over to Tyler’s table and looks at the blank placemats on it. Katherine walks towards him with Sam.

“Dean. What? What is it?” She asks.

“While you were out being Dirty Harry, uh, Tyler's mom got pissy with him, and now his place mat's missing”

“What do you think?” she asks.

“I think the bitchy mom plus, uh, sad kid plus place mat with something nuts written on it... equals wacky corpse”

“So you think she's next on the list?” Dean shrugs a little.

“All right, I'll tail them just to be safe” Sam offers. “You two...”

“Check the boiler room. I know” Dean finishes.

“Right” Sam walks off, then turns back. “Oh. Oh. Uh, Dean, hey, uh, any idea what he drew?”

“Robot” Dean answers.

“Robot?”

“Like an Ultron” Dean answers. “But about the size of a house. Shoots destructo beams out of its eyes”

“At least I'll see it coming”

“Yeah” Sam walks away, Dean looks to Katherine who smirks a little.

“Clowns?” she asks him. “Really?” Dean chuckles wrapping his arm around her waist.

…...............

Dean and Katherine enter and look around using a flashlight. There is a large pot with a flame burning in the center of the room.

“Now, that's perfectly normal” Dean teases, Katherine continues to look around and sees children’s drawings on the wall. One is of a boy under water. Next to it is a photograph of two young boys with a birthday cake. The decorations read “Happy Birthday Howard.” Three dolls are on a table next to an open spell book. Katherine closes the book. Under it is Tyler’s placemat with the drawing of the robot.

“Drop it” Howard is stood behind them. Dean turns and sees Howard holding a gun. Katherine turns too. “Drop it!” Howard repeats. Dean and Katherine share a look, his telling her to hold off on vamping out just for now. Dean sets his gun on the floor. “Mm-hmm. Now kick it over” Dean slides the gun towards Howard with his foot.

“Some pretty heavy hoodoo you got here. I gotta say, as far as I know, none of these things, uh, can poop out a Unicorn” Dean states. Howard walks closer. He and Dean and Katherine are on opposite sides of the pot with the flames.

“There's power in fear. And when a child draws what he's afraid of, a little of that mojo ends up on the page”

“So, what, you toss it in the fire, and some bed-wetter's horror show comes to life?” Dean asks.

“I got to get something off the parent, too. Something they own. That bit gets tricky”

“Well, it hasn't seemed to slow you down” Katherine points out.

“I'm just doing what I need to!” Howard snaps.

“Okay. Okay. I get it. Okay?” Katherine throws the book from the table at Howard. Howard spins out of the way, but doesn’t drop his gun. Katherine rips the placemat with the drawing of the robot in half.

“No drawing... No Iron Giant!” She crumples the two halves of the drawing and tosses them away.

“Oh, that b-word is still on the list! But not tonight. Bigger fish” Howard tells her.

“What, are you gonna shoot us, Howard?” Katherine asks.

“Yeah. You really want a body on your hands? Blood everywhere?” Dean asks.

“I’d shut up! 'Cause I got lots of ways to take care of bullies. Don't you worry. Like that FBI guy. He's your pal, right? I saw you chase Cliff down. Five minutes ago, his business card was torched. Along with something from my... personal collection” Howard picks up several placemats with children’s drawings. “I – I – I picked it out real special for him, too” Katherine and Dean share a look, he's still telling her to wait.

…...............

Libby gets out of her car. Sam is watching from the Jeep nearby.

…...............

“Soon as I saw him, I noticed. He was staring at every little Plucky like it was gonna stab him or something”

…...............

Sam gets out of the Jeep. A clown appears in front of him. Sam gasps.

...............

“Guy's got a real thing about clowns”

…............

The clown steps towards Sam, laughing.

…...............

Sam runs around a corner and hides behind a vehicle in a deserted light industrial area.

“It's okay. They can't hurt you. They can't hurt you. "If it bleeds, you can kill it." Yeah. "If it bleeds, you can kill it” Sam looks over the vehicle and sees a clown with green hair, yellow pants and a red jacket standing a short distance away. The clown laughs and runs towards Sam, who runs first towards a high fence and then to a door. The clown runs after him, raising its knees exaggeratedly high with each stride. Sam breaks open the door and bolts it behind him.

…...............

Sam moves some metal objects in front of the door and looks around the building, which is a large garage or workshop. He hears a crash behind him and turns to see the clown coming through the door, laughing. Sam starts to walk away from the first clown, but another clown, which is also laughing, has appeared in front of him. Sam stops and the second clown zooms closer. The second clown approaches Sam, clapping its hands once.

“Aah! Ha” Sam punches the second clown, then does a backwards kick at the first clown.

“If it bleeds, you can kill it” Sam points his gun at the second clown as it laughs. He shoots the clown twice, sending glitter flying. The clown appears uninjured. Both clowns laugh. The second clown knocks the gun out of Sam’s hand and punches him three times, sending Sam reeling towards the first clown. The first clown pushes Sam at the second clown, which catches Sam and holds him for the first clown to headbutt. Both clowns laugh maniacally. Sam goes flying through the air and lands on a large pickup, breaking the windshield. The clowns whoop and cackle. One clown pulls Sam off the hood of the pickup. The other kicks Sam in the stomach. The first clown catches him, turns him around and kicks him back towards the second clown. Sam grabs a tire iron from the pickup in his right hand and raises his left arm to deliver a backwards hit to the second clown. It falls down. Sam hits the first clown with the tire iron. The clown takes a step back, but then points with a flourish behind Sam to the second clown. The second clown is juggling some stakes. It lunges at Sam with one of them.

…..........

Sam slams a door behind him and moves the metal objects in front of it. He hears a crash and turns to see that the clown has followed him in. It laughs maniacally. Sam starts to walk away from the clown, but the second clown, which is also laughing, has appeared in front of him. Sam stops and the second clown zooms closer. Sam shoots the second clown and glitter flies. The second clown punches Sam twice.

…...........

“Well, hey, these are, uh, really nice dolls. Did you...” Katherine picks up a clown doll. “...paint them yourself?” she asks, Howard doesn’t respond.

“Oh. Uh, friggin' Plucky” Dean mumbles.

“Plucky helps kids. It's all I ever wanted to do. And when the management slot opened up, I... but they passed me over”

“Shocker”

“No, I told them, "No one cares more than me” Katherine sets the clown doll back on the table. “But suits never listen” Katherine slips the doll into the back pocket of her trousers. “So, I'm doing it my way”

“So let me get this straight. You didn't get the good parking space, so you start dropping bodies?” Dean asks.

“Those parents were horrible. They deserved what they got”

“What about Saul?” Katherine asks.

“Saul had a big mouth!” Howard snaps.

…...............

The second clown is holding Sam from behind. Sam headbutts it. The first clown sprays Sam with seltzer from a flower on its jacket.

…..............

“Some guy hits on the babysitter, all of a sudden he's the world's worst dad?” Dean asks Howard.

“A good parent puts his kids first”

“And having a little girl watch her pop get ganked by the closet monster – that's putting her first?”

“In the long run, they'll all be better off”

“You think so? Really?” Dean asks.

“I would have been” Katherine turns to look at the pictures on the wall. In the first, a stick figure is below the surface of the water, while a second stick figure swims on the surface. In the second, a person is well below the surface and is surrounded by fish. There is a photograph of the two little boys with the birthday cake.

“So, your brother. What happened to him?” Katherine asks.

“It's not my fault! It's theirs!” Howard snaps.

…................

Sam hits the windshield of the pickup. One clown pulls Sam off the hood of the pickup. The other kicks Sam in the stomach. Sam raises his left arm to deliver a backwards hit to the second clown and Sam hits the first clown with the tire iron.

…................

“Looks to me like he drowned” Katherine points out.

“I was screaming... But my folks... They didn't listen. They never listened”

“It was an accident” Katherine points out.

“They let him die!”

…..............

Sam ducks as the second clown takes a swing at him, then hits that clown with the tire iron. The second clown tosses the wrench it is holding to the first clown and the first clown hits Sam with it. Sam goes down, but gets back to his feet and hits the first clown in the groin with the tire iron. He turns and hits the second clown across the face with the tire iron. A large tooth flies from its mouth with a sprinkling of glitter.

…...........

Katherine takes the picture of the person under water with fish off the wall and holds it up to Howard.

“I'll bet you still have nightmares. In fact, I'll bet you haven't been in the water since” she tells him.

“Shut up!”

“Because you're afraid” she offers as she takes the clown doll out of the back pocket of her trousers, then puts both the drawing and the doll in the fire.

“No!!” Howard moves towards the fire, but the flames leap up, Dean pulls Katherine back from the flames. Howard shoots three times as Dean drops to the floor and draws his gun. He and Howard both freeze. A young boy with three bullet holes in his shirt has appeared. The bullet holes close up and the young boy moves towards Howard. “It wasn't my fault” The young boy continues to walk towards Howard. “I'm sorry” Dean gets to his feet. The young boy reaches for Howard’s right hand, which is holding his gun. Howard falls to his knees and makes choking sounds. Howard begins to splutter water. Water continues to come from Howard’s mouth and the paper and doll continue to burn. Katherine watches sadly. Just another name to add to her list of victims.

…...............

The first clown runs at Sam brandishing a large metal bar. Sam raises a wrench to defend himself. The second clown moves towards Sam from behind. As the clowns reach Sam, they vanish in an explosion of glitter. Sam looks around and spits glitter out of his mouth.

…..................

Dean smiles with relief and looks to Katherine and then to her feet as blood drips from some where at her.

“Are you bleeding?” he asks turning her to face him and look over her.

“I'm already dead” she reminds him lifting up the bottom of her shirt where there is a bullet wound, she reaches into it and pulls out the bullet, her wound instantly heals. “I'm okay” she tells him giving a tight smile.

“Then why are you fake smiling?” he asks her.

“I thought I was done killing people” she admits. “I thought I was done being....a murderer”

“Whoa, no” he tells her. “He was the murderer, he was killing people, you stopped him from doing it to more people” she shrugs and looks away. “This....you do not have blood on your hands in this” he tries to assure her, she sighs and walks away. “Kat, sweetheart” he grabs her arm to stop her. She looks to him. “You can't let this get to you” he tells her. “If you're going to be with us, hunting....you can't let this get to you”

“But you do” she points out. “You let it get to you” she tugs her arm free and continues to walk away, he sighs a little.

“You're better then me” he whispers, she stops in the doorway and glances to him, she scoffs.

“I'm a vampire, Dean....an assassin, you have no idea how long my list of victims is....and if we met, 7, 6, 5 years ago.....you'd have been hunting me, not sleeping with me” she turns and leaves, he closes his eyes and sighs.

…..................

Dean is leaning against his car. Sam pulls up in the Jeep and gets out. He is still covered in glitter. Dean walks a few steps towards him. Sam spreads his arms wide, inviting Dean’s reaction.

“Go ahead. Say it” Dean laughs.

“I'm sorry” Dean tells him, Sam starts to smile. “You look like you got attacked by some PCP-crazed strippers” Sam smiles wider. “Dude, one of them sprayed me with seltzer from his flower” Dean laughs even louder. Sam looks surprised at Dean’s reaction. “I'm s– whew. What?”

“Nothing. Carry on”

“Ohh. That's... Sam... I'm sorry for... psychologically scarring you”

“Which time?”

“Shut up. Seriously. You know, me – me ditching you when we were kids, that was a dick move. You know, the whole clown thing”

“You know what, man? Honestly... getting my ass kicked by those juggalos tonight was, uh... it was therapeutic”

“You faced your fear”

“Exactly. And now what else could a clown possibly ever do to me? I feel good”

“Well, congrats”

“By the way, to celebrate...” Sam starts.

“What?” Sam takes a giant slinky out of the Jeep and walks towards Dean. “No!”

“Yes” Sam gives the giant slinky to Dean and walks to the passenger door of the car. “Did you win this?”

“We earned that”

“Ha ha!” Dean walks to the driver’s side of the car. “Hey. I got you a little something, too, actually” Dean puts the giant slinky on the roof of the car, and reaches into the car for a clown doll, which he tosses to Sam. Sam shudders and holds it up. “What? You said you were over it. You can think of it as a... clown phobia sobriety chip” Dean offers. Sam smiles and looks into the car.

“Where's Kat?” he asks.

“Here” Katherine states setting her backpack at her feet, Dean looks to her sadly as Sam raises an eyebrow at her.

“Well...get in here” he teases patting the top of the car.

“Actually....I'm going to take a few days to myself” Katherine tells them both. “You two have been great but....”

“You're so used to being alone” Sam offers, she nods. “And we're two too many people at the moment”

“I just need to get used to people again and right now I need some time to myself” Dean moves to her and shoots Sam a look, Sam holds up his hands and moves around the car out of ear shoot. Dean looks back to Katherine.

“Is this about....” he starts, she shakes her head and then shrugs.

“I just...have my own process” she admits. “Hydra supported it...you should too” she touches his chest, he smirks a little.

“Well. If Hydra supported it” he mumbles a little and then cups the back of her neck and pulls her closer to kiss her cheek. “Call us if...if you need us, okay, sweetheart?” he asks her. She nods as he pulls back. “Just call” he brushes his thumb over her cheek. “Don't be long” he whispers, she lifts her eyes to his and they share a look. She kisses him and then pulls back picking up her bag, she gives Sam a small smile and he waves at her. She turns and walks away. Before disappearing. Dean takes a breath and turns to Sam.

“What did you do?” Sam asks, Dean shoots him a look.

“Get in the damn car” Dean tells him. Sam smirks a little and shakes his head. “Now, Sammy” Dean adds climbing into the car.


	13. Chapter Twelve

Katherine looks around suspiciously before walking down a street towards a storage place, the sign above the entrance flickering and the cutting out. She ducks into the store front, she pulls off her hood and hat and then strides towards the front desk. The young clerk behind it looks up and then stands almost knocking his chair over.

“Miss Gilbert” he greets, she motions to the door to the units, he nods and smiles at her. She passes the desk and heads on through to the back. She'd set up this place once she was sure Hydra were off her back. A storage lock up. And she made sure it is one that is not covered by the CCTV and she found a route that doesn't cross any of the other ones.

….................

Katherine steps through the door rather then opening the whole shutter and closes the door behind her. It's empty, except for a desk and chair in the centre of the room, and in the middle of that desk is a locked box and a bottle of whiskey. Her process for dealing with killing people. She takes a breath and sits at the desk before unlocking the box and opening it. Inside are driver's licenses, photos, etc, different forms of Id. And a notebook with lists of names, the same names as the Ids. This is how she deals. She pulls a drivers id out of her pocket, Howard's, she throws it into the box and leans back a little, her fingers wrapping around the bottle of whiskey.

…..........

One Month Later/Mid-April: Sam is leaning against the hood of a car. Dean carries a tray of take-out food.

“All right, here we go” Dean tells him as he sits down next to Sam and puts the tray down on the hood between them. “You know... even though the world is going to crap, there's one thing that I can always count on – these things tasting the same in every drive-through in every state in our great nation” Dean takes a bite of a taco. “Mmm” A phone rings. Sam pats his pockets and Dean takes out his cell. “Annie” he greets.

“Hey, Dean”

“A nice surprise. How you been?”

….................

Annie, who appears to be in her late 30s, is driving. The scene alternates between Dean on the hood of his car and Annie driving.

“Oh, I'm still kicking. So, good, I guess. Heard about Bobby. I'm sorry”

“Yeah. Us too. What's up?” Dean asks her.

“Well, I got some of his old books. I thought maybe you'd want ’em” she offers.

“Yeah. Sure. Where you at?”

“Bodega Bay. Crow's Nest Inn”

“You working?”

“Always. You guys anywhere nearby?”

“Near enough” Dean assures her.

“Cool. Why don't we meet at the Pier Front Restaurant – lunch?”

“1 o’clock?” Dean asks.

“Yeah. Bye” Dean hangs up and looks to Sam. “Bodega Bay” he offers. “Annie has some of Bobby's things”

“Sure” Sam agrees and leans up grabbing his tray of take out food.

“Room for a little one?” Katherine asks, Dean snaps his head around to her, Sam looks to Dean who breaks out into a smile.

“Always” he tells her holding out his hand for her bag, she pulls it down her arm and holds it out to him. He takes it and moves around to the trunk of the car, Sam smiles at Katherine.

“Welcome back” he tells her warmly opening the car door for her. She touches his arm and smiles before climbing in. Sam climbs into the front and Dean does too when he closes the trunk. Katherine shrugs out of her jacket and leans closer.

“What have I missed?” she asks them, setting her hand on the back of the seat to play with Dean's hair, he rolls his head slightly and closes his eyes. Sam and Dean share a look, Dean shrugs and Sam turns to Katherine as Dean starts the car.

…..................

Later, after a long, long story, Katherine rests back in her seat, processing that too, she then leans forward and frowns.

“The devil is real?” Katherine asks Sam, who nods. “And you...hallucinate him?” she asks, he nods. “Because....your trenchcoat wearing angel friend......broke your mind” Sam nods. “But...he fixed it again and is now....in a hospital being looked after by a demon who may or may not be in love with him, you also think that Bobby is haunting his flask that Dean carries around?” Dean starts laughing.

“Oh sweetheart, when you say it like that” he teases slightly. “Dude, tell her about the...the...drunk monster”

“A shojo” Sam offers with a smirk and then looks to Katherine. “You have to be drunk to see it”

“Awww now I feel like I missed out on all the cool stuff” she offers.

“Garth would have loved her” Dean points out and then looks to her sadly. “About Frank...”

“I know” she tells him. “I checked in on him last week....figured something happened”

“We're thinking leviathan” Sam offers.

“Better then what I was thinking” Katherine mumbles. “Hydra” she admits, they nod a little, Dean touching her arm. She smiles a little.

…...................

Katherine watches out the window as the sun sets and closes her eyes to rest back in her seat. Dean glances to her in the rear view mirror and smiles softly. Sam bites his lip and shakes his head.

“Dude” he whispers, Dean smacks his arm.

“Shh” Dean hisses, Sam chuckles a little.

…......................

Katherine, Sam and Dean are sitting at a table overlooking the pier. Katherine is looking at the menu and Dean is reading a newspaper.

“Hey, get this. Dick Roman is funding another archaeological dig. Guy moves more dirt than "The Drudge Report.” Dean offers.

“Well, any – anything on what he's digging for?” Sam asks.

“Don't you think I would have led with that?” Dean asks, Sam sighs and looks at his watch.

“Annie's not usually this late, is she?” Sam asks.

“No, never. She's totally compulsive. I'll try her cell”

“You know, uh, you know she and Bobby had a thing, right?” Sam asks.

“Yeah. Yeah, I knew that. Really?”

“Yeah. Kind of a foxhole thing – very Hemingway”

“Huh” Dean glances to Katherine and then to Sam. “She and I kind of went Hemingway this one time, too”

“All right, well... that happens” Sam makes a face.

“What, you too?” Dean asks.

“Look, it was a while back. We ended up on the same case. She was stressed. I-I-I... I didn't... have a soul” Dean glances to Katherine.

“You gonna jump in too, Sweetheart?” he teases, she smirks.

“I have no idea who she is, we're good” she assures him, Dean smirks.

“Still a lot of foxholes. She's not answering. Well, here's to ghosts that aren't there” Dean pours some whiskey from his flask into his coffee mug.

“You sound kind of disappointed” Sam tells him.

“Ah, it's better this way. I mean, even though I wish we could see him again doesn't mean that we should” They clink their coffee mugs together and drink. “Ahh. Are we being stood up?”

“Yeah, let's hope that's all this is” Sam offers, the flask rocks slightly on the table. Neither Dean nor Sam notice. Katherine does, she glances to it and frowns.

“You okay, sweetheart?” Dean asks wrapping an arm around her chair, she nods a little and looks away from the flask.

...........

Katherine, Sam and Dean are walking towards their car. Dean is holding his phone to his ear, his other arm hovers around Katherine's back. Dean lowers his phone.

“Nothing?” Sam asks.

“Straight to voicemail. Something's not right” Dean answers.

“What's she doing in Bodega Bay?” Sam asks.

“She's working some kind of job. She didn't really say” Dean takes out his flask, unscrews the lid and tips it upside down – it’s empty. “I got to get a refill”

“You know what, man? Why don't you, uh, just pack it away for a while? All it does is remind us of him, you know?” Sam asks Dean.

“Yeah, I thought about that, but, uh... not yet” Dean walks around the car to the driver’s side. Bobby is sitting in the back seat of the car, but Sam and Dean don’t appear to see him, Katherine stops in her tracks to stare. She sees him. “Let's go check out Annie's hotel room” Dean tells them. Sam and Dean climb into the car. Dean frowns and then climbs back out. “Kat?” he asks, she lifts her eyes from Bobby who is staring back at her. “Everything okay, sweetheart?” she swallows a little and then nods sharply. She glances to the back seats and Bobby is now gone. She nods softer and climbs into the car, Dean watches her with concern.

…...............

In their motel room Dean is sitting on the bed looking at some of Annie’s research, Sam is at the table looking at more papers, Katherine stands looking out the window, still as a statue.

“These go back years – disappearances never solved” Sam points out. “They stop a few decades back, then pick up again just recently. All teenagers”

“Looks like Annie found a spot a lot of them liked to poke around just before they went missing” Dean offers.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Old Van Ness house” Dean answers. Dean gets up to show the information about the house to Sam. Bobby is now sitting at the table across from Sam, but Sam and Dean don’t appear to see him. Katherine sees his reflection, Bobby looks at her. She closes her eyes. “It's, uh, cheery” Dean adds.

“Well, the police combed the place. They always come up dry” The curtain next to Sam moves, but Sam and Dean are both looking in the other direction.

“Yeah, local law. Always on the ball” Dean complains.

“Guys...” Bobby states, Sam and Dean don’t hear him. Katherine opens her eyes to look at his reflection.

“So, built in 1862 by the Van Ness family...” Sam reads.

“I just made that curtain shimmy” Bobby tells them.

“...who lost it in the early 1900s” Sam carries on.

“Could you look in the right place at the right time?” Bobby asks. “Katherine, tell them” Bobby looks to her. She glances over her shoulder at Bobby.

“Put up for sale a few years back. No takers” Sam states.

“Probably 'cause it creeps their queso”

“Balls, this is exhausting” Bobby adds.

“It's just been sitting there, boarded up, for ages. Oh. Get this. I guess a couple months back, someone put it on one of those, uh, "most haunted houses in America" lists”

“Let me guess – that's when the, uh, teenagers started to go missing” Dean points out.

“Yep”

“Okay. Now let's get rolling”

“Ah, I say we get rolling” Dean states standing and looks to Katherine who takes her eyes off Bobby. Convinced that she is finally going insane. “You okay?” he asks again, she nods. “Coming?” he asks her, she nods again and moves towards them. Katherine, Sam and Dean leave the room. Bobby stands up and looks at the closed door.

“Idjits” He states, Dean’s jacket, with the flask in the pocket, is hanging over a chair. The door opens and Katherine returns, she grabs Dean's jacket and looks to Bobby who smiles. “Thank you” he tells her, she nods and then leaves with the jacket. Bobby flickers and disappears.

…...............

Dean and Sam enter the Van Ness house, shining flashlights. Katherine walks behind them, Bobby is beside her.

“Honey, I'm home” Dean teases, Katherine and Bobby share a look before looking around.

“Geez. My people” Bobby states. There are other ghosts in the room, which are not visible to Dean and Sam.

“All right, let's go”

“Wait” Katherine tells them. Dean and Sam look to her. “I see dead people” she tells them both.

“I bet she doesn't ever get that” Dean teases a little.

“What are you talking about, Kat?” Sam asks her.

“I think they're dead people” she offers. “I'm not 100% sure I'm not just loosing my mind” she admits. Dean moves closer to her.

“Tell us” he touches her arm.

“It started....yesterday” she whispers. “Bobby was in the car” she admits. “And the motel room....and standing right beside me now. At first I figured....maybe something snapped in my mind but.....now I see others and I don't know who they are” Dean strokes her arm seeing her get upset.

“She's dead” Sam points out. Katherine and Dean look to him. “You're technically dead....you're walking the veil, Kat. What do you see?”

“I don't want to look” she whispers. “It's....eerie and my skin is crawling”

“You're an assassin” Sam points out.

“Was” she corrects. “I don't want to do bad things any more”

“This isn't bad” Sam tells her.

“Dude, she said no” Dean snaps. Sam shoots his brother a look. “We do this the old fashioned way” Dean takes Katherine's hand. She looks to Bobby.

“I'll introduce myself” he tells her. “Let you know what I find” she nods a little. Sam, Katherine and Dean head upstairs. Bobby looks around. “Hi. I'm Bobby, and I'm a ghost. Hoping for a little ghost orientation here. Je m'appelle Bobby” None of the ghosts respond. “Chilly”

.........

Dean keeps a tight hold of Katherine's hand as they head through the house, and she avoids looking around, because she can feel spirits brushing against her skin, so she watches the crease in the collar of his jacket that moves slightly when he does. It's a good crease. It keeps her eyes away from the ghosts.

….........

Later: Katherine sits at the top of the stairs, her head between her knees, trying to blank out the rest of the world. Sam and Dean join her after searching the top floor, each sitting on either side of her.

“Katherine” Bobby calls for her, she lifts her head and looks down at the bottom of the stairs, he nods to his side. “This is Annie” he tells her, Annie waves a little, she grabs the sleeve of Dean's jacket and he turns to her.

“What is it, sweetheart?” he asks.

“Bobby” she answers. “He found Annie” she tells him sadly. Sam sighs.

“Ask her where she is?” Dean asks Katherine who rolls her eyes.

“They can hear you” she tells him. “Ask her yourself” Dean looks around, Katherine grabs his chin with her human hand and turns him towards Anne. “Bottom of the stairs” She tells Dean.

“Annie? Do you know where you are?”

“I've searched every room five times” Annie answers, Katherine shakes her head.

“She has no idea, she's looked everywhere” Katherine offers to the brothers.

“What now?” Sam asks.

“My research” Annie offers. “You kids might be able to see something I missed” Katherine looks to Sam.

“Her research” she tells him. “We might see something she missed”

“So pretty much: work the case” Dean offers, Katherine nods.

“Katherine” Bobby starts, he nods to Dean and she opens Dean's jacket.

“Whoa” Dean starts as she slides her hand into it. He watches her as she pulls out Bobby's flask.

“He can do more here” she tells Dean who watches it sadly. “And we'll pick him up later” she tells him heading down the stairs. She sets the flask in a dresser draw.

“Thanks, Katherine” Bobby tells her.

“You did enough for me” she counters back. “This is the least I can do for you” she closes the draw and touches the top. Bobby moves to her.

“Make a list, of those we know are here....” she nods and reaches into her jacket for her notebook.

…..............

Katherine, Sam and Dean stand with a Historian at the Bodega Bay Historical Society.

“The house dates back to the mid-19th century. Miles Van Ness made his fortune in the gold rush, eventually settling his family in Bodega Bay” The historian tells them.

“Anything...unusual ever happen in the house?” Sam asks.

“Oh, over the course of a century, things are going to happen in a house. Some locals swear it's haunted”

“We only want the real scoop, of course” Katherine tells the historian, sending a flirty smile. He smiles back at her.

“Whitman Van Ness. Son and heir. Handsome, charming, dogged by tragedy all his life. He lost the family fortune, then the house. It became a bordello. He lived in isolation till his death at age 40” Katherine looks down to the list in her hand, Whitman Van Ness is listed, she shares a look with Dean.

“Who's the, uh, the bruiser there?” Dean asks nodding to the man standing next to Van Ness in a painting.

“Dexter O'Connell. A convict. An extremely violent man” Katherine taps her pen on the notebook, Dexter is listed too. “Mr. Van Ness was socially progressive and took pity on him. He worked as grounds keeper. Dexter was convicted for murdering Whitman's fiancée on the eve of their wedding. Another calamitous event in the poor man's life”

“Hmm” Sam hums.

“Well, thank you”

“The house is popular this week” the historian tells them.

“What do you mean?” Sam asks.

“A lady came by the other day asking all sorts of questions”

“Uh, 30s, red hair, good-looking?” Dean asks.

“Mm. I gave her the same advice I'll give to you. Stay away from the place. It's extremely unsafe” Sam and Dean nod and leave with Katherine.

…................

Sam is back at the motel room, Katherine is not here. Dean is in the bathroom.

“So, besides Whitman's fiancée…” Sam is reading a photocopy of a newspaper near the open bathroom door. The shower is running. “…Dexter O'Connell was also convicted of killing a bunch of hookers who worked at the brothel” The newspaper headline reads 'Woman slain on eve of wedding was fiancée of Whitman Van Ness' “He escaped before they could hang him. But then he returned to the house, where he was found shot to death. Why would he escape and then go right back to the house where he got arrested?”

“I don't know. Add that to a list of things don't know” Dean shouts from the shower.

“So what's the next move?” Sam asks. Dean partly opens the shower curtain and grabs a towel, then closes the curtain again.

…..........

Dean runs his hands through his wet hair looking in the bathroom mirror when Katherine returns, a box tucked under her arm. Dean leaves the bathroom and raises an eyebrow at her.

“I got you something” Katherine holds out the box to Dean. “Unless that's....wrong?” she asks.

“Love gifts” Dean assures her taking the box. Sam smirks amused watching them. Katherine is so awkward it's adorable...for a vampire. Dean sits on the bed and opens the box. He smiles a little and lifts out the new hip flask.

“Just till we finish and we can get Bobby's back...” she tells him. “I know it's not...much”

“Katherine, this is...” Dean looks to her. “This is great” she smiles and nods and then looks over her shoulder a little.

“Kat?” Sam asks.

“Something....” she starts and cocks her head. “I can hear....” she closes her eyes and concentrates her hearing. “We have to go back to the house” she states turning to Sam and Dean.

…..........

Back at the Van Ness house, Dean and Sam are taking guns out of the trunk. Katherine is looking up at the house.

“We combed the crap out of this place. Annie did too and we didn't find her...”

“'Cause something didn't want us to” Katherine finishes.

“Awesome. Well, let's walk right into that” Dean teases and holds out a gun to her, she shakes her head at him.

“I can't” she tells him. Dean looks pointedly at her gun strapped to her thigh. “I have it but I don't use it” she tells Dean. “I haven't in....5 years” she touches it. “It's a reminder of who I am....” she whispers, Dean kisses her head and then nods.

“Okay, just be careful” she snorts and smirks.

“How much worse can it get?” she asks. “I'm already dead” she reminds him and then the three of them go inside the house.

…............

Dean and Sam look around using flash lights, Katherine walks between them. Bobby is behind them with Annie and another woman, Victoria.

“Katherine” Bobby states, Katherine turns to him causing the two brothers to turn with her. “You're up, kiddo” Bobby tells Victoria.

“I'm Victoria – Victoria Dodd” Victoria tells Katherine.

“Where'd you come from?” Katherine asks.

“Is there someone here?” Dean asks Katherine who shushes him.

“Here. I was a fancy lady” Victoria answers. “Annie's in terrible danger. We all are”

“From who?” Katherine asks.

“Whitman Van Ness” Van Ness is watching from upstairs, he sees them talking and then flickers and disappears.

“Define 'terrible danger'” Katherine tells her.

“Whitman has great power over all of us in the house. He killed Annie. She says you can free us. Please, you must...” Victoria screams and burns up in flames.

“Victoria?” Katherine asks.

“Kat?” Dean presses.

“She just went up in flames” Katherine states and looks to Dean. “It's Van Ness...he killed Annie”

“Now we know whose bones to salt and burn. Let's go” Dean takes her hand and pulls her along as he walks away. Sam adjusts his gun. Van Ness slips a key into Sam’s pocket. Sam then follows Dean and Katherine as Van Ness disappears.


	14. Chapter Thirteen

Katherine sits between Sam and Dean in the impala. Bobby and Annie watch from the window. Van Ness is in the back seat.

“Aw, hell no” Bobby complains. The impala drives away.

….............

Bobby and Annie are walking up the stairs.

“If I hadn't asked Katherine to stash that flask here, I'd still be glued to them. Real clever” Bobby complains.

“Actually was”

“Son of a bitch. I figured our one ace was that bastard Whitman couldn't leave the house either”

“Probably planted something on the boys” Annie offers.

“Terrific”

“Hey, listen, sweetie – you could beat yourself up all day about this, or we could take advantage of the fact that Whitman's gone, do what we're supposed to do. Let's go figure this out. Coming, Robert?” Annie and Bobby walk down a hallway and stand in front of a door.

“Well, we searched everywhere else”

“I'm telling you, Whitman guards his room like Fort Knox” Annie and Bobby walk through the door into a sitting room. There is a fire burning in the fireplace.

“Last time I checked, ghosts didn't get cold” Bobby comments. A skeleton and the remains of a red dress are in the fire.

“Yeah. That's Victoria. That is how he took her out. But where did he get her corpse?” Annie asks Bobby.

“Well, you said he dragged those two dead kids away. Where'd he take them?” Bobby counters.

“Yeah, I don't know. I couldn't risk following him”

“What else did you say this place was, other than a whorehouse?”

“It was a lot of things. It was a boarding house, a school... a speakeasy” Annie answers.

“Yeah, well, thing about speakeasies – hell of a lot to hide” Bobby and Annie search the room. Bobby pulls the lever that opens the bookcase, and it swings open. “I still got it” Bobby and Annie enter the room behind the bookcase. It contains skeletons and corpses in various stages of decomposition, Annie’s body and the teenage boys' bodies. Annie looks stricken upon seeing her body. “Well, this pretty much tells the story, don't it? You know, you and me – we burned our fair share of bones, sent a lot of ghosts packing”

“It's a little different when you're on the receiving end. So, uh... what do you think happens to 'em – Heaven, Hell, or... none of the above?” Annie asks.

“I don't know. Just... gone, most likely”

“Yeah, that's what I think, too. That's what I want. I want a hunter's funeral. Oh, come on. It's better than this – stuck to this house, somewhere between existing and not. No, I'm... ready for some peace. Wasn't much of a life. It was lonely, what we do” Annie tells Bobby.

“Yeah, well, the life I had is the one I picked”

“Yeah, but you had the boys. All I had was work. It's gone now”

“Yeah, well, I ain't done” Bobby argues.

“Okay, fine, but I am. You're stronger than I am now, Bobby, so, uh, you got to do this for me” Annie argues.

….................

Dean is driving while Katherine is online, Sam leans over her shoulder to read.

“All right. There” Sam stops her.

“Cemetery, edge of town. The Van Ness family has its own mausoleum” Katherine reads.

“All right, we light up the bastard and finish him off” Dean pats Katherine's knee and gives her a wink. The car accelerates from about 50 miles an hour to about 80.

“Take it easy. We'll get there” She teases back slightly.

“Uh, that's not me” Dean struggles to hold onto the steering wheel as it moves. Van Ness appears next to Dean and tries to turn the wheel, causing the car to swerve. Dean manages to bring the car to a stop and he, Katherine and Sam get out.

“Why's he with us?!” Sam asks.

“I don't know. There's got to be something on us!” Dean argues, the three of them then pat down their clothing looking for anything that doesn't belong.

“Hey, hey” Sam takes out the key that Van Ness put in his jacket pocket. Van Ness appears behind Sam and plunges a hand into his back. “Ugh!”

“Sam!” Dean shouts, Katherine grabs the key from Sam whilst pulling her gun from her thigh, she tosses the key onto the ground and shoots it. Van Ness vanishes in a cloud of dust. Sam gasps and Dean puts out a hand to steady him.

“Did that do it? Did that get rid of him?” Katherine asks holding out her gun.

“I don't know. I got a bad idea we just snapped him back to his favourite house” Dean tells her.

“Where Annie and Bobby're sitting ducks” Sam adds.

“We got to find those bones. Come on” Dean and Sam go to climb into the car, Katherine is stood stock still, Dean turns to her. “Kat?” he asks, she looks to him.

“I picked up the gun” she whispers to him, Dean nods and moves back to her.

“I know” he takes the gun from her. “But you did it to save my brother” he assures her. “You didn't even hesitate” he tells her proudly. She smiles a little and nods. He kisses her and sets the gun back in the holder on her thigh. “Come on” he takes her hand and pulls her towards the car.

…..............

Katherine, Dean and Sam are walking through the cemetery with flashlights. They find the Van Ness mausoleum.

…..................

Van Ness runs up the stairs. Bobby and Annie are standing in front of the fireplace in Van Ness’ room.

“Well, let's get to cremating. We ain't got all day” Bobby comments.

…...................

Van Ness strides down the hallway and walks through the door to his room. Bobby and Annie are hiding around a corner. When Van Ness looks around the corner, they are gone.

…...............

Dean uses a hammer and chisel on a plaque that reads “Whitman Van Ness – October 16th 1895 - November 14th 1935”. Katherine rolls her eyes and sighs before pushing him out of the way, she flexes her metal hand and then punches the plaque which shatters.

“So cool” Dean tells Sam who smirks and shakes his head.

…..................

Bobby and Annie hurry down the stairs to the ground floor. Van Ness appears in front of them.

“Enjoy the view from my room? Planning to thin out the population? Is this how you repay my hospitality?!” Van Ness plunges a hand into Bobby’s chest. Bobby starts to burn up in white light, which also appears in Van Ness’ eyes.

…....................

Dean lights a match and throws it into Van Ness’ coffin.

…....................

Van Ness jumps and the white light retreats from Bobby. Flames start to appear on Van Ness’ clothing.

“No! I will not be taken!” Flames engulf Van Ness and he vanishes. Bobby falls to the ground with a thud.

….........

Katherine, Sam and Dean watch Van Ness’ skeleton burn.

….........

Annie is kneeling next to Bobby, who is unconscious on the floor in the entryway of the house. Bobby wakes with a groan.

“How long was I out?” Bobby asks.

“A while. Are you okay?”

“Sure” Bobby sits up. “I mean... I'm dead, I'm a ghost... but, basically, swell” Katherine, Dean and Sam enter the house. Sam and Dean can now see Bobby, Katherine smiles softly. “Hi, boys” he greets, Dean and Sam stare at Bobby.

“Bobby?” Dean asks.

“Wait. You can see me?” Bobby asks as he stands. “You're staring, you know. Annie's here, too, by the way”

“Hi, Annie”

“H-hi, Annie” Annie is still standing behind Bobby.

“Hi, guys” Bobby points a thumb in Annie’s direction. Sam and Dean look around, but can’t see her.

“She says you both look uglier than she remembered” Annie hits Bobby lightly on the back, Katherine smiles a little more and then moves to the drawer and takes out the flask. She tosses it to Dean.

“S-so, what happened? Did you get stuck or – or what?” Dean asks Bobby looking at the flask.

“I wanted to stay” Bobby answers.

“Bobby”

“I need to help”

“Not if it means you have to... be this”

“Well, life wasn't comfy. Why should death be? Now, come on. Annie and I found all the bodies. Let's put 'em to rest. And keep my damn flask away from the fire... obviously” Bobby heads for the stairs. “Well, you coming?” Bobby asks them.

…..............

Dean and Sam are putting their things in the trunk of the car. Katherine leans against the car, her arms folded over her chest as she watches Bobby who looks at the front door of the house and then walks over to them.

“I'll miss her” Bobby comments.

“Me too” Dean agrees.

“Yeah”

“Well, you didn't know her like I did” Bobby tells them, Katherine smirks and looks down. Dean laughs briefly and Sam clears his throat.

“Well, uh…” Dean takes out the flask. “Here's to Annie. She got the hunter's funeral she wanted” He takes a drink. “Kind of like the one we thought we gave you”

“Dean” Sam warns.

“What were you thinking, Bobby? You could be in Heaven right now, drinking beer at Harvelle's, not – not stuck…” Dean argues.

“Stuck here with you? We still have work to do. I just thought that was kind of important, Dean”

“It's not right, and you know that”

“Sorry. You're right. What was I thinking?” Bobby vanishes. Dean and Sam look at each other and Dean tosses the flask into the trunk.

…...............

Dean drives with Katherine sleeping against his side, his arm around her. Sam sits on her other side.

“So, what do you think we should do?” Sam asks.

“We did what we should do. Now I don't know” Dean answers.

“I mean, do you think it's possible we could – I don't know – make it all work somehow?” Sam asks.

“I have no idea. Maybe. I've never heard of it. But you know what I do know? It ain't the natural order of things. Everything is supposed to end. You know, he was supposed… And now... What are the odds this ends well?” Bobby is in the back seat. “What are the odds?”

“You know...” Sam starts looking at Katherine. “Same goes for her” Dean nods a little. “Like you said...Everything is supposed to end” Dean glances to Sam.

............

Dean wakes to Katherine tossing and turning, he sighs and turns to her, she's awake, staring at the ceiling, but her arm is whirling as she flexes and relaxes her metal hand. He takes the metal hand to stop her, she looks to him.

“What's wrong?” Dean asks, he kisses the top of her arm, she shakes her head.

“Nothing, go back to sleep” she answers turning onto her side away from him, he frowns and touches her shoulder.

“Katherine” he states, she sighs.

“A memory” she whispers sitting up and pulling her knees to her chest. “I don't...well I think it's a memory” Dean kisses her shoulder as he sits up with her.

“Tell me” he whispers softly stroking her back.

“I was dancing” she turns to him slightly. “The kind with the...urm..tutus and the pointy toes” he chuckles a little.

“Ballet” he offers, she nods.

“Bucky used to make fun of me for it....” she admits. “So I made him practise with me” he smirks at her. “This one time...Steve walked in and Bucky was mid plie...I never heard Steve laugh that hard....it was so hard he actually cried” she smiles and looks out the window, her smile falters and a few tears run down her cheek.

“Hey” Dean coos.

“I'm sorry” she whispers. “I don't know if this is happy or sad” she admits.

“It's okay” he whispers with a small smile. “Probably a bit of both” he offers, she nods. “But hey” he tells her lighter. “You remembered something, all by yourself” she looks to him.

“I did” she agrees watching him. She smiles softly at him.

“What?” he asks.

“You” she answers. “I've learnt more about myself and my past since I met you” she admits. “Dean...” he kisses her, threading his fingers through her hair, but this kiss feels different, like there is more to it, more in it, she's not sure she fully understands but she knows it's...more. His hand finds her waist and he lays her back on the bed. His lips moulded against hers as they touch one another, hands just roaming, gliding, ghosting over any bare skin they can touch, he pauses slightly when he reaches the jagged join of her metal leg, she lifts her eyes to his. “You don't have to touch it” she offers. “I get it; it's hideous” she whispers. He does keep going, running his hand down her metal leg, she can't feel it, but the thought is there. He shifts her slightly and presses himself down against her.

“You're beautiful” he assures her kissing along her jaw. “So hot” he teases slightly. “Badass” he adds reaching her neck. “And you snort in your sleep which is hilarious” she punches his shoulder as he laughs into her neck. “I know you have an issue with liking yourself, Kat” he admits pulling back. “So...how about I just like you for you” she smirks. “That was totally cheesy wasn't it?” he asks her, she nods and pulls him closer to her.

“You like me” she teases a little. “And I'll like you” they share a look, he nods slightly, actually afraid of the emotion building in him. They are the same deep down, maybe not on the outside, not in history but inside, they know one another better then anyone else, because they are the same; broken and shattered and held together with sticky tape, fighting because they don't know how to do anything else. Afraid of themselves and their own emotions so they ignore it. Dean kisses her, cupping a hand to her cheek. He runs his hand down the outside of her flesh thigh and pulls it around his waist as he rolls his hips against hers. He growls against her lips setting her hand against his clothed erection.

“Katherine” he begs moving his forehead to her shoulder. She reaches between them and pushes his boxers down his hips, she pulls her mechanical leg up out of the way, he shifts slightly letting the cloth fall down his legs before he pushes her shorts aside, he doesn't want to waste time on taking them off. He lines himself up to her and clutches her waist as he pushes into her. Her eyes close and she arches slightly under him, breathing out a breathy moan.

“Please” she begs nudging his hip with her leg. “Dean....please” she swallows thickly and he nods, leaning his elbows on either side of her face he moves, slower then anything they've done before, but so much deeper. So much more. She looses herself in it, the feeling of him inside of her and all around her, almost smothering her, but she loves it. His scent, his warmth, just him being there with her. She reaches up and grabs onto his shoulder before she turns them both with vampire speed till she is hovering over him, her hips pick up the motions straight away leaving no time for recovery, she throws her head back, his hand pushing up under her tank top to touch her stomach and hips. Her hips move, in and out of vampire speed, and he swears he almost goes cross eyed, it's insane, and hot, and amazing. Her voice, her moans, echo around the room. He clenches his own jaw, fingers digging into her skin. He's not going to last much longer, but he needs her to get there first, he needs her to cum first. He lowers a hand between her legs and rubs his thumb over her clit, she arches a little setting her hands back on his thighs, her eyes firmly on his as he watches her.

“Kat” he begs giving her a look. She nods and gyrates her hips faster. She clenches around him. He sits up, lips pressed to her throat. He snaps his hips to hers, pressing himself deeper into her causing her orgasm washes over her like a comfort blanket, filling her with warmth and feelings and she is lost for a moment, she forgets where she is, who she is......it all just melts away and she feels like Katherine Barnes again, the human, the sister, the best friend.

“Katherine” he moans as he cums, clutching her to him as he does. She strokes his back with flesh fingers and closes her eyes. She knows this will end, whatever they have, because it always does, because she doesn't get a happily ever after. She doesn't deserve to be happy. He kisses her neck, lazily, softly.

.......

Dean closes the bedroom door behind him to find Sam talking on his cell phone. The wall behind him is covered with research. Dean raises an eyebrow.

“Yeah, I hear you. All right. Well, thanks for looking. Yep. Bye” Sam then hangs up the phone turning to Dean. “So, Nora didn’t see any pattern to the dig sites either” Sam sits down on the sofa.

“Yeah, 'cause they got nothing in common” Dean mumbles with a yawn looking over Katherine's research, neatly and methodically piled on the dining table, with labels and an actual index, he snorts a little. Sam smiles a little, he was actually impressed. “Guessing Katherine got nothing either? When did she even do this?”

“About 4am this morning” Sam answers. “And yeah, she got nothing from local lore 50 miles in every direction of all of them. I mean, it's like they're just... old dirt. What’s Dick looking for?” Dean takes a drink from Bobby's flask. The lights flicker. Sam and Dean both stand up and take guns out of their jeans. Bobby appears and they point their guns at him.

“Hey, hey, go easy, you idjits. Sorry for the jump scare” Bobby tells them.

“So how does this work, huh? I leave the cap off and you just genie your way out?” Dean asks.

“I wish it were that easy. The thing...” Bobby flickers and vanishes.

“Bobby?” Sam asks, Bobby reappears.

“Damn it. It’s hard to stay focused. I’m still kind of worn out”

“You’ve been pretty busy for a dead guy” Dean comments.

“All right. Listen. I-I don't know how long before my next ghost nap, so let's just skip to the skinny – those numbers I gave you”

“The empty lot in Cheeseville?” Dean asks.

“Yeah, well, it ain't gonna be empty for long. I got a gander at Dick's big plan, right before he Lincolned me. They're breaking ground – what month is this?”

“Uh – uh, April” Sam answers, Bobby sighs.

“Ground’s broke” Bobby answers. “They’re building as we’re yammering. Check it out yourself. It's all right. I mean, you guys missed it because you've been kind of busy” Bobby teases a little, Sam opens the laptop. “killing ghosts the past few days. But Dick is about to get into the Soylent Green business” Sam opens a website. “That site'll show you they're building a biotech lab, right?” The laptop screen shows Geothrive’s 'Standard plans for an efficient slaughterhouse' “Biotech my ass” Bobby comments. “That sucker is a state-of-the-art slaughterhouse. And we're the beef”

“Don't you think that's a little bold, even for Dick?” Dean asks.

“I bet you no one will even notice…'cause first, he's gonna dumb us all down with Turducken-style munchies. Make us docile” Bobby explains

“Yeah, we haven't been to Biggerson's since that whole fiasco” Dean offers.

“Biggerson's? He's bought a list of joints 10 pages long” Bobby explains. “Next, he's gonna cure us”

“Cure us of what?” Sam asks Bobby.

“All the biggies – cancer, AIDS, heart disease. Let's just say they got an affinity for stem-cell research”

“The, uh, Leviathan real-estate mooks building that cancer centre” Dean explains.

“They're not hunting any more. They're engineering the perfect herd” Bobby adds. “Now, we've gone up against plenty liked to eat a few folk in the woods. This ain't that. This is about knocking us off the top of the food chain. This is about them Levis living here forever, one-percenter style, while we march our dopey, fat asses down to the shiny new death camps at every corner” Bobby tells them as Katherine walks back in, she looks to them and then smiles a little. Dean turns to her and raises an eyebrow.

“What?” she asks him.

“Where'd you disappear to?” he asks her back.

“I was hungry” she answers. “I didn't want to wake you” she adds. Bobby and Sam share a look, Sam nodding a little. Katherine's laptop beeps away, she moves to it, opening it on the table. Her email program reads 'You have 1 new message.' Dean raises an eyebrow at her.

“You have an email account?” he asks. She looks to him. “Not very stealthy of you” he teases.

“I have one contact” she offers. “Well I did” she corrects as she opens the emails, the email is from Frank and is titled 'I’m probably dead…' “It's from Frank” she tells them opening the email.

“Frank's alive?” Dean asks her.

“Katherine, if you're reading this, I'm dead... or worse. This e-mail was sent because some prince is trying to hack into my hard drive right this second. So unless it's you, you got trouble” she reads. “My drive is full of compromising info. The Hydra files you stole when you escaped. The Winchester's new aliases, hangouts, where they stored the car...”

“Baby?” Dean asks.

“Even though he encrypted his drive to Hydra levels, he says we should assume that someone can hack into it eventually. He did put a tracking device in it though” She tells them and clicks on a link in Frank’s email and a 'Hard Drive Tracker' application appears on the laptop screen. “Let's see where Frank's drive is” A box appears on the screen saying that the hard drive is at Richard Roman Enterprises.

“Perfect. It's in the middle of the Death Star” Dean complains and yet still makes it sound like it is good news. “All right, well, off to Chicago” Dean stands up.

“No, wait, you can't just break in” Bobby starts to argue. “They know your mugs. What if we mailed in the flask? Then I could ghost through the joint. I mean, it's not like Dick can kill me twice. What, you got a better plan? Come on. Just because I'm dead doesn't mean I don't know how to do my damn job” Bobby argues.

“Bobby, that's Dick's office” Sam tells him.

“I think what Sam's trying to say is, what happens if you run into Dick and, you know... go vengeful. You know it's not something you can just shake off” Dean elaborates.

“Come on. Give me some credit. What, I'm supposed to just ride the pine?”

“Sorry, Bobby” Sam shuts the laptop and walks away. Dean follows him, he pauses an looks back at Katherine.

“Kat?” he asks, she nods and gives Bobby an apologetic smile before she follows the two brothers.

....................

Charlie enters her apartment, takes a bag from a cupboard and starts to pack. She pauses and looks around, then shakes her head and continues packing. Her phone ring, she answers it nervously.

“Hey, Pete, sorry I left without telling you. No, I just wasn't... feeling well. It's a... lady thing. I will be in first thing. Got to go – cramps” Charlie looks at Star Wars figurines on a shelf. The head of the Darth Vader figurine is moving. Charlie hurries for the door. As she opens it, Dean slams it shut.

“It's all right. I'm not gonna hurt you”

“Get away from me, you...” She picks up a plastic sword. “Shapeshifter!”

“Look, we're not shapeshifters” Sam argues. Charlie slashes at Sam with the sword, breaking it. “Geez!” Dean takes the broken sword from Charlie.

“Look, we're not Leviathans, okay? You want us to prove it? You know what borax does to them?” Dean asks her.

“Yeah” Charlie answers.

“Sam?” Sam holds out his hand and Dean pours borax over it, then pours some over his own hand. He holds his hand up to show Charlie. “Huh? Your turn” Dean gives Charlie the borax and she splashes some over one hand. “Good” Dean takes back the borax. “Now....we need you to invite our friend in” Dean opens the front door revealing Katherine on the other side. Katherine waves with a smile, Charlie practically melts.

“Who the hell are you guys?” Charlie asks.

…....................

Sam, Dean and now Katherine are sitting in Charlie's living room. Katherine sets her metal hand in her lap, trying not to fidget with it, she's aware it makes noise. Charlie sits across from them.

“So you're saying, you guys are monster hunters” Charlie motions to Sam and Dean. “You're a vampire former Nazi assassin” Charlie points to Katherine. “And there are other monsters. Stop. Never mind. Just shh. Okay, I get how you tracked the drive – straight GPS – but it's still at the office. How did you find me?” Charlie asks. Sam clears his throat and opens his laptop. He shows Charlie video footage of herself. “Aw! Son of a gun jacked my webcam?!”

“Welcome to Frank” Katherine offers.

“It's creepy, but I'll give it to him. So you're telling me everything he had on his drive is true”

“That and more” Dean answers.

“How long did it take you to crack into Frank's drive?” Katherine asks Charlie.

“A day or so” Charlie answers, Katherine makes an impressed face.

“What are you thinking?” Sam asks Katherine, Katherine glances to him.

“Dick Roman's email” she answers. “I could do it but I don't know the server like she does” Katherine points out.

“Why would I...” Charlie starts but clocks on. “Oh. He's one of them”

“No. Uh, he's their leader” Sam corrects.

“So what's the end game – steal our resources, make us some slaves?” Charlie asks them.

“Planet-wide value meal. We're the meat” Dean answers.

“You can't be... serious. Okay. All right. Let's do this. What am I looking for?” Charlie sits down at the table and opens her laptop. The desktop background is Arwen from The Lord of the Rings.

“Well, for starters, uh, anything about archaeological dig sites” Dean tells Charlie.

“Like Indiana Jones stuff?”

“All we know is that Dick has been digging all over the world, and we need to know what he's looking for” Dean answers.

“You know, I was having a really good week. I met someone, downloaded the new Robyn album. Everything was coming up me. Oh, crap”

“Look, we get it sucks” Sam starts.

“No, not that. This” Charlie motions to her laptop. “Dick's e-mail isn't on the company server. It's on a private one, in his office”

“Meaning?” Dean asks.

“Can't get in it unless you have his phone or you're at his desk” Katherine explains leaning back slightly, thinking.

“So you're saying that if we're inside Dick's office, then we can hack into his e-mail?” Dean asks.

“You can't. Only someone like...” Charlie pauses. “But I sure as hell ain't doing it. I am doing my job and... What are the chances I see everything on that drive and Dick lets me live anyway?”

“I think you know” Katherine tells her.

“So I erase the drive first, protect me and you. Then I go back to my old life, right? What?”

“It's not that easy. You're on Dick's radar, which means you don't have an old life any more” Sam tells her.

“I'm gonna die. I should have taken that job at Google”

“Look, Charlie, it's okay if you can't do it. I mean, you didn't volunteer for this”

“Totally. Exactly. But now I volunteer”

“What?” Sam asks Charlie surprised.

“I got to go back in any ways to wipe Frank's drive. Might as well break into Dick's office, too”

“Are you sure?” Sam asks her.

“No. But these things are gonna eat everyone I know. What kind of douchebag stands by for that? However, I have never broken into anything in real life before, so... plan?” Charlie asks them.

“Easy” Katherine states leaning forward. “Get me into the building....and I can do the rest” she offers.

“What?” Dean asks snapping his head to her.

“Out of the two of us” Katherine motions to herself and Charlie. “I'm faster, stronger.....and I'm immortal. I can be in and out before anyone even notices.....” Katherine reminds them. “Or do you want to send the squishy, mortal, human girl in?” she asks, Sam and Dean share a look.


	15. Chapter Fourteen

Katherine shakes out her hair before pulling it up and back from her face into a tight bun on the back of her head, she's dressed head to toe in black, her Winter Shadow look. Dean watches her from Charlie's couch, he's worried and trying not to show it. He shouldn't worry, this woman is a badass and immortal but he is still worried.

“Kat” he whispers, she looks to him and then moves to kneel in front of him.

“I'll be fine” she assures him taking his hand, he lifts hers to his lips and sighs against them.

“You know...” he starts and then pauses. “These last few months.....”

“I'm gonna be fine” she argues. “So no....death speeches” she scolds standing, he smiles a little and nods standing to join her. He takes her waist and she looks to him.

“I'm just saying” he starts. “World would be an awfully small place without you in it” he admits quietly. She smiles and pulls him closer.

“I'm just a monster” she whispers. “It can do without me” she kisses him softly and starts to move away, he watches her sadly.

“Would it help if you fed?” Dean asks, she stops and looks to him.

“I'll find something before” she answers. “Rabbit or something”

“This is important, Kat, you need to be....”

“I won't hurt a human for this, Dean” she snaps quickly.

“I'm not suggesting that” Dean moves towards her and takes her arm. “I'm offering” she looks to him.

“No” she argues and pulls her arm out of his grip to walk away again.

“Kat” he warns. She turns to him.

“I don't do that any more” she argues.

“I know, it's just me”

“And if I can't stop?” she snarls turning to him. “If I hurt you? If....I loose control?”

“You won't” he offers softly. “I know you won't” she looks down as he moves to her rolling up his sleeve. He holds out his wrist to her, she lifts her eyes to his. “Come on” he shakes his hand at her. She swallows thickly. “It's okay” he assures her taking her flesh hand and wrapping it around his arm. She lifts his arm to her lips, her fangs lowering and the veins creeping up her face, she closes her eyes and bites into his skin, he moans.

….................

Outside Richard Roman Enterprises a black van is parked outside. Dean joins Sam inside the van.

“How's it going?” Dean asks.

“Great, since Kat set all this up. Um, look” Sam uses Charlie’s laptop, with its Arwen desktop, to show Dean security footage. “See this? I can put each camera on a pre-recorded loop. Once I do that, Charlie will get Kat in and she'll have 15 minutes”

“15 minutes ain't a lot of time” Dean worries.

“This is Kat” Sam offers. “You've seen her move right?” Dean shoots him a look.

“I just...” Dean pauses and then sighs.

“You like her” Sam offers, slightly teasing, Dean looks to him. “Like...Lisa like her? Or Like...?”

“More” Dean admits, Sam smiles a little.

“I like her too” Sam offers. “Not in the same way but in....she's not bad for a girl that constantly wants to eat me” Dean punches Sam's shoulder as his brother laughs. The security footage shows Charlie standing outside the building.

“Wait. Is that... Son of a bitch” Dean sees something on the screen.

“What?”

“Look at her bag” A close-up of Charlie’s bag shows Dean’s flask in a side pocket.

“Bobby. Wait. Y-you think he, uh...”

“Hitched a ride after we told him to cool his jets? Yeah. What the hell's he thinking?” Dean asks.

“He's not. So what do we do – call the whole thing off?” Sam asks back, Dean shakes his head.

“We’ve only got one shot at this” Dean argues as Katherine joins Charlie, who looks nervous.

“I used to think maybe you loved me.....” Charlie starts to sing.

“Are you singing?” Katherine asks looking to her.

“I sing when I'm nervous. Don't judge me” Charlie begs.

“Judgment-free zone. Believe me” Katherine whispers.

“Kat” Dean states over the comms in her ear. “Listen, uh, check the side pocket in Charlie's bag” he tells her, Katherine turns Charlie around and sighs pulling out the flask. Charlie notices it.

“Oh. Thank you” Charlie takes the flask and drinks from it. “Mmm. Good idea” Charlie hands it back to Katherine who smirks amused.

“Kat”

“I got it, Dean” she states back through the comms. “I've got him” she corrects sliding the flask into her jacket and then touches the outside softly.

“Okay. Let's do this” Charlie tells Katherine. Charlie doesn’t move.

“Charlie?” Katherine asks.

“I'm having a hard time moving” Charlie admits.

“You can do this” Katherine tells her.

“Uh, I'm not – I'm not a spy like you” Charlie argues. “No, I can't do it. I can't do it. I can't do it. I can't” Katherine takes Charlie's shoulders.

“Hey, it's okay” Katherine tells her.

“I'm sorry, Katherine. I'm sorry. I-I just...” Charlie offers.

“It's okay” Katherine assures her. “It's good that you're not a spy like me” Katherine tells her. “World doesn't need any more me's” she teases a little and then pauses thinking. “Listen....Who's your favorite Harry Potter character?” Katherine asks as she remembers seeing the collection of books in her apartment.

“Uh, Hermione” Charlie answers.

“Hermione. Well, uh, all right, did Hermione run when Sirius Black was in trouble or when Voldemort attacked Hogwarts?” Katherine asks.

“Seriously?” Dean asks over comms. “You know about Harry Potter?”

“Hydra made me read them”

“What? As punishment?” Dean asks.

“Shut up” she growls.

“No, of course not” Charlie answers the original question.

“What did she do?” Katherine asks.

“She kicked ass. She actually saves Harry in practically every book. And then she ends up with the wrong....”

“Uh, stay on track. Okay, so she kicked ass, right? So, then, what are you gonna do?” Katherine asks.

“I'm gonna kick it in the ass” Charlie tells Katherine who smiles.

“Good girl” Katherine tells her.

“Oh, you go, dumble-dork” Dean teases Katherine as Sam chuckles. Katherine rolls her eyes, Charlie smirks.

“Don't you want to eat them?” Charlie asks, Katherine then smirks.

“All the damn time” she teases. Dean touches his wrist where a bandage is wrapped around from Katherine's bite. He smiles a little.

….............

Charlie enters the building, behind her there is a whoosh which travels to the stairs, Charlie walks past a security guard. Her picture comes up on the security guard’s computer screen. Charlie enters the elevator, swipes her pass and hits the button for level 4.

…..............

Sam and Dean watch the security footage.

…...............

Charlie gets off at level 4.

…..............

Sam hits a button on the laptop so that the footage of the empty elevator will play on a loop.

…..............

The security guard in the foyer looks at security footage. The shot of the elevator flickers and he taps the screen. Charlie gets back into the elevator, takes the strip off her security pass, puts it onto another one pass she is wearing and hits the button for level 11. There is a whoosh and Katherine appears at her side.

“Awesome” Charlie comments with a smile. Katherine can't help but smile back. The security guard sits back, apparently happy with the footage. Charlie rides up in the elevator with Katherine. “I'm in. I've always wanted to say that” Charlie tells Katherine.

“We don't say that” Katherine offers, Charlie pouts a little.

“You're on the clock. Move” Dean tells them over the comms.

“We don't say that either” Katherine counters with a smirk.

“Spoil sport” Dean grumbles with his own smile.

…...........

Bobby is riding up in the elevator with Charlie and Katherine. The two girls gets off on the 11th floor. Charlie flattens herself behind a wall when she sees a security guard. She reaches for Katherine and pulls her back too.

“There's a big-ass guard up here, blocking the door” Charlie points out.

“I saw him” Katherine assures her.

“What do we do?” Charlie asks, Katherine sighs and unzips her jacket a little, to reveal her low cut tank top, she then pulls out her hair tie, bending over to shake her hair out before flipping it back up.

“Stay here” Katherine tells Charlie who nods. Katherine then turns the corner and walks towards the security guard, who stands up as she approaches him.

“Can I help you, miss?” he asks.

“Hey” she sees his name tag. “Bill” she then smiles at him. “Charlie from I.T” she offers touching her chest, drawing his attention, she then touches his arm and smiles flirtatiously at him, he melts a little.

“Oh. Burning the midnight oil, huh?” he asks her.

“Just like you – I mean, when you're not at the gym. What, do you work out with all your free time?” she asks.

“I try to get to the gym at least three days a week. Just trying to get back to my fighting weight, you know?” he answers lost in her eyes.

“It shows. You look amazing” Katherine offers. “Do you ever do anything else with your free time, like take a girl out for a drink?” Katherine asks biting her lip.

“Um... Yeah, yeah. That'd be great” Charlie is watching with a great big smile on her face.

“I love this girl” she states. Katherine touches Bill's shoulder and moves closer to him.

“Hey, can I ask you a favor?” she compels him. “The ladies' room downstairs is nasty. Can I use the exec washroom to powder my nose?” she continues to compel him.

“Yeah, yeah. Why not? Um, it's right down the hall. It's the first door on the right” Katherine smiles and winks at Bill. After she walks away, Bill covers his mouth with his hand to check his breath. Katherine walks past the ladies’ room.

“I feel dirty listening to that” Dean mumbles in her ear.

“Jealous?” She asks, Dean scoffs down the coms. “Now shut up I have to concentrate”

“Let us know when you're out” Dean tells her. Katherine enters Dick Roman’s office.

….............

Dean and Sam are sat in the van watching the security cameras.

“So, guess we just wait?” Sam asks.

“Yeah”

…................

Katherine puts on gloves and sits down at Dick Roman’s desk. She plugs in a thumb drive and runs a password generator.

….................

Bill looks up from where he is reading a magazine, Charlie watches anxiously.

…................

Katherine starts to copy Dick Roman’s files.

…...............

Bill looks at his watch, then gets up.

…................

Katherine's file transfer is up to 20%.

…................

“He's moving” Charlie warns them.

…................

Sam is filling jars with Power Clean. Dean watches the security footage.

“Don't worry, Katherine has this” Dean tells Charlie.

….................

Bill knocks on the door of the ladies’ room. Bobby watches.

“Okay. Let's Yoda this” Bobby states.

…..................

The door to Dick Roman’s office closes and locks. Bill and Katherine look towards the sound.

…...................

Dean watches the security footage.

…........................

Bill tries to open to the door to Dick Roman’s office. Katherine's download is up to 65%. Bill uses his key to unlock the door. Katherine's download is up to 70%.

…............

Bill is now looking around in Dick Roman’s office. Bill leaves the office closing the door behind him. Katherine emerges from an adjoining room. Katherine moves back to the desk. The file download message now reads 100%. She grabs her thumb drive from the computer and then leaves.

…............

“Well, this is awesome” Dean grumbles bored in the van. Sam is still filling jars with Power Clean. “You know what? New plan. From now on, we just stay in the van and send in the vampire”

“Dean, every chomper on earth knows our face. How many do you think are in that building? We wouldn't make it past the lobby” Sam argues and then rolls his chair over close to Dean.

“Yeah, I know. Doesn't mean I got to be happy about sending in Kat, alone”

“She'll be fine... or we'll go in” Sam assures him.

“And get as far as we can. Damn right” Dean agrees.

…..................

Katherine appears next to Charlie who jumps a little.

“Let's go” Katherine tells her. “Your computer next” Charlie nods.

….....................

Charlie plugs the thumb drive into her computer and takes another drink from the flask, Katherine starts to transfer the contents of the thumb drive to a WiFi I.P. Address.

“Sending you all the flagged dig files now” She tells Sam and Dean.

“Katherine, you are a genius!” Sam tells her.

“I know. It's a problem” Katherine states and then stiffens, a door opens behind them and by the time Pete enters, Katherine is gone.

“Hey, Pete! Guess we're both on deadline, huh?” Charlie asks nervously.

“How's it going?”

“Good, good. I'll give you a full progress report in a few hours” Charlie offers.

“Great. Hit that deadline, right?” Pete asks as he reaches out to squeeze Charlie’s arm. “Well, holler if you need anything” Pete leaves, Charlie watches him go before Katherine is at her side again.

“Who the hell was that?” Katherine asks, Charlie looks to her.

“Oh, just my manager, the monster”

“We need to leave” Katherine tells her.

“I can't. I got to act normal. I told him I was working. Let's just finish this” Charlie opens a number of Dick Roman’s emails concerning a package leaving Iran and the suspension of the digs. Katherine leans over her shoulder. “Are you seeing this?” Charlie asks her.

“It looks like Dick stopped digging days ago” Katherine offers.

“Why?” Sam asks over coms.

“Guess he found what he was looking for. Can you check?” Dean asks them. Katherine pats Charlie's shoulder, Charlie nods.

“Way ahead of you” Katherine states.

“Looking at travel reports, expenses... Here we go. Something in his suitcase left Iran last week. Spent the last 72 hours in armored cars and private planes. Whatever it is, it's coming here for Dick tonight. So, w-what the hell is it?” Charlie asks looking up at Katherine.

“I don't know. Whatever it is, he wants it bad, which means we got to grab it, end of story”

“Well, it's landing at a private airport near here – crap – right about now. A courier's set to pick it up”

“What's the exact landing time?” Katherine asks scanning the document.

“42 minutes. Can you make it?” Charlie asks, Katherine smirk as Sam looks at Richard Roman Enterprises and Downey Airport on an online map.

“We can try. Uh, all right, Charlie, one more favor, and then get the hell out of there. Katherine, we could use you out here” Katherine leans closer to Charlie.

“You gonna be okay?” Katherine asks, Charlie nods. “Be careful” Katherine tells the redhead who nods again with a small smile. Katherine vanishes.

.................

Dick Roman is talking on his cell phone.

“Outstanding. And you'll call as soon as the package is in hand?” He asks.

.......................

At the airport a leviathan is waiting outside the cargo depot.

“Absolutely. I'm here waiting. In fact, I've got time for a light snack” the leviathan answers Dick.

….................

Charlie removes the thumb drive from her computer. She gets up to leave, then gasps: Dick Roman is standing right in front of her.

“Hey, Charlie. I was hoping I'd find you here”

…..................

A plane lands at an airport. A suitcase slides along the ground and one of the pilots picks it up. A baggage handler pulling a cart full of suitcases almost runs into the leviathan, who is standing near the plane.

“Hey”

“Sorry” the handler apologises.

“Watch it” The baggage handler puts a blue case on the ground. The leviathan points to it and looks at the pilots, then nods and picks up the case. He shakes hands with the pilots.

…................

The leviathan leaves the airport building and gets into a waiting black vehicle, which then drives away. Sam, Katherine and Dean are standing next to the open trunk of their car.

“So now what?” Sam asks.

….................

The leviathan carries the case into Dick Roman’s office.

“I've been looking for this for a very, very long time” The leviathan opens the case. Inside is a bottle of Power Clean, hooked up to a bomb. “Now, who could have done that?” The bomb ticks and goes off.

…....................

Earlier, Katherine is still with Charlie at her desk.

“A courier's set to pick it up”

“What's the exact landing time?” Katherine asks scanning the document.

“42 minutes. Can you make it?” Charlie asks, Katherine smirk as Sam looks at Richard Roman Enterprises and Downey Airport on an online map.

“We can try. Uh, all right, Charlie, one more favor, and then get the hell out of there. Katherine, we could use you out here” Katherine leans closer to Charlie.

“You gonna be okay?” Katherine asks, Charlie nods. “Be careful” Katherine tells the redhead who nods again with a small smile. Katherine vanishes.

“What do you need?” Charlie asks.

“More time”

“Then let's get you some” Charlie states as she then types an email to Dick Roman from the travel department. “Travel department's e-mailing Dick. Suitcase still en route, but diverted by weather and will be 30 minutes late” She stands up and looks around the office. “I'll finish mopping you guys off the drive and get the hell out of Dodge”

“Call us when you're clear” Katherine tells them now in the van with Sam and Dean.

“Text you from the border, Sis” Charlie teases, Katherine smiles a little.

….................

A suitcase slides along the ground and one of the pilots picks it up. A baggage handler pulling a cart full of suitcases almost runs into the leviathan, who is standing near the plane.

“Hey”

“Sorry” the baggage handler apologises, from under the baseball cap, Katherine is hidden. Katherine takes a blue case from the baggage cart and puts it on the ground, and puts the grey case on the baggage cart.

“Watch it” The leviathan picks up the blue case. Katherine takes the gray case off the baggage cart and walks away with it. She is joined by Dean and Sam.

…........

Charlie removes the thumb drive from her computer. She gets up to leave, then gasps: Dick Roman is standing behind her desk.

“Hey, Charlie. I was hoping I'd find you here”

“Um, hey, Mr. Roman” Charlie offers.

“Please. Dick” Pete walks up. “Pete, we're good here. Why don't you go grab a bite?” Pete leaves. “Show me what you found”

…..........

Sam, Katherine and Dean are standing next to the open trunk of their car.

“So now what?” Sam asks.

“See what we've won” Dean answers and opens the grey case. Inside is something wrapped in cloth, which Dean uncovers.

“Did we just... steal a – a hunk of red clay?” Katherine asks.

“That's a good question. Why don't we answer that a few thousand miles away from here, though? Now where is Charlie?”

….................

Charlie’s phone rings. She looks at it, but doesn’t answer. Dick Roman is standing over her as she sits at her desk.

“So there's nothing about my company?” Dick asks, Charlie shakes her head. “Ah. How about a Sam or a Dean?”

“I'm sorry, who?” Charlie asks.

“Sam and Dean Winchester. Give it a little peek, would you?” Dick asks, Charlie searches for “Sam + Dean + Winchester”. Bobby is standing behind Dick Roman.

“Dick Roman. Come on. The girl's right there. Worry about her”

“Is it me, or did it just drop 10 degrees in here?” Dick asks.

“It's a bit nippy, yeah” Charlie asks.

“I'll have maintenance check the A.C. I can't have you cold, now, can I?”

“You miserable... Damn it, Bobby, come on” Bobby complains. “NO RESULTS FOUND” flashes up on Charlie’s screen.

“Nothing about those Winchesters”

“If items were deleted from the drive, would you be able to tell?” Dick asks.

“Not if they were deleted properly” Charlie offers.

“Well, they're crafty. Have all the data sent to me”

“Of course”

“So, really, how did you do it?” Dick asks.

“Uh, do what?”

“You broke the unbreakable. What's the thought process? Walk me through it, and ix-nay the jargon”

“Um... nothing's unbreakable, really. Nothing's safe if you poke at it long enough”

“Nothing's safe. I like that. But that isn't what I'm asking, Charlie. Your spark – it's one in a million. Believe me, but when you got it, you invent guns and iPads and viruses, and, holy crap, you can be crafty. What is that, Charlie?”

“Um...”

“'Cause I can feed every fact in your brain to someone else, they still wouldn't be able to be you” Dick tells her.

“I guess you can't clone me” Charlie offers back.

“Don't think that doesn't piss me off” Dick Roman’s phone rings and he answers it. “Yes. Fantastic. Bring it up to my office. I'll be right there” He hangs up. “I think we're on to something here. Stay here, will you? I'll be back in two shakes” Dick leaves, Charlie grabs her bag and hurries down the stairs.

…...............

The leviathan carries the case into Dick Roman’s office.

…...............

Charlie hurries down the stairs.

…...............

The leviathan opens the case. Inside is a bottle of Power Clean, hooked up to a bomb. The bomb ticks and goes off.

…................

Charlie is sprinting for the door to the building.

….................

The leviathan are lying on the floor with a burned face. Dick Roman takes out a handkerchief and uses it to pick up the receiver of the telephone on the desk. His face is also burned.

“Nothing is safe, apparently. Lock the building down now!”

…................

Charlie is sprinting for the doors. She reaches them to find them locked. Dick Roman, whose face has healed, is riding down in the elevator. Bobby puts his hands against the doors. Dick Roman and Pete continue down in the elevator. The glass of the doors shatters around Bobby’s hands, but stays in place. Dick Roman and Pete reach the ground floor. Pete heads for Charlie.

“Hold on there, Charlie” Bobby shoves Pete, who crashes into Charlie, Katherine is suddenly there and grabs Charlie rolling with her across the floor. Bobby pushes Dick Roman into a cabinet. Charlie lies on the floor holding her arm and groaning. Sam and Dean crash through the glass doors. The security guard from the foyer approaches.

“He's one of them!” Charlie shouts pointing at Pete. Dean tosses borax onto Pete. Pete yells and brown smoke rises from his face. Sam punches the security guard. Pete continues to sizzle and scream. Katherine picks up Charlie.

“That would explain it. You're hanging with the wrong crowd, kiddo” Dick tells Charlie, Dick Roman starts forward as Katherine, Charlie, Sam and Dean move towards the door. Bobby appears in front of Dick Roman.

“Not so fast, Dick” Bobby shoves Dick Roman hard. Dick Roman flies through the air into a large display picture of the Richard Roman Enterprises building and falls to the ground. Dean and Sam watch as Bobby flickers, then reappears and looks back at them before disappearing again. Dick Roman growls and sits up.

“All right, enough! Show yourself. Let's do this like real monsters” Dick yells, Katherine pauses thoughtful, Dick Roman tries to get up, but is shoved back down. “Ha, ha, ha! You got to do that again. That tickled” Katherine shoves Charlie at Sam who looks to her, Katherine takes a few steps back before she vampire-speeds behind Dick, she grabs his shoulder and bites, Dick starts laughing as she pulls back touching her lips, something is wrong. She gags.

“Kat?!” Dean yells moving towards her as she stumbles backwards. “Come on. Come on!” Dean grabs her arm and pulls her along. “Kat” he begs, she touches her lips and spits up blood, only it's not blood, it's black. Dean looks to her worried, he turns and lifts her up and hurries after Sam and Charlie.

….................

Dean is driving, Sam is in the passenger seat and Charlie is in the back seat with Katherine who looks really unwell.

“Charlie, talk to us. You okay?” Dean asks.

“No. Why didn't you kill him?” Charlie counters.

“'Cause we can't yet. But we will” Sam promises.

“The really evil ones always need a special sword. Oh, okay. I'm gonna pass out now” Charlie then does pass out.

“Kat?” Dean asks glancing to her. She groans.

“I don't think they have good blood” she complains clutching her stomach.

“No, I don't either” Dean agrees.

…..............

Dick Roman walks into his office, talking angrily on his cell phone. The leviathan who picked up the case is getting to his feet.

“Because they have it! Now get it back, before they figure the damn thing out!” Dick Roman tosses his phone down. The leviathan’s face is now healed.

“Please, sir, d-don't bib me”

“Bib you?! Why would I waste a perfectly good meal?” Dick Roman puts his hands on the leviathan’s shoulders. His face transforms and he lunges at the leviathan’s head.


	16. Chapter Fifteen

Dean strokes Katherine's hair as she feeds from his other wrist, her colouring returning to normal, the leviathan blood working out her system, she pulls back and sighs looking away to wipe at her lips.

….................

Katherine bleeds into a half full beer bottle before she shakes the two liquids together. She moves to Charlie and holds out the bottle.

“Drink this” Katherine tells Charlie who's arm's in a sling, she'd landed awkwardly on Katherine's metal arm when the vampire had grabbed her. Charlie takes the bottle and raises an eyebrow. “Don't think about it....just drink it” Charlie nods and drinks from the bottle.

“What is it?” Charlie asks licking her lips.

“My blood” Katherine answers. Charlie's shoulder pops back into place and Charlie makes a pained noise before looking to her shoulder, her free hand coming up to touch it amazed. Katherine holds up a necklace chain and drops a vial down between her fingers, this vial contains her blood. “Only if you literally have no other way out” she tells Charlie. “In an emergency” Charlie nods and takes the necklace.

“Thanks, Katherine” Charlie tells her warmly. “You're pretty great” Katherine smiles and stands heading over to Sam stood watching.

“How's you know you blood does that?” Sam asks Katherine, she shrugs.

“A few months ago.....that time I was away. I started researching myself, what I am, and it said that that was one of the things, so I went to the local hospital and I tried it on some car crash victim” she looks up at Sam. “They said he was pretty much dead, you know, that there was no hope” she smiles. “He woke up three hours later completely healed” Sam smiles. “His wife was 8 months pregnant, and they already had a 5 year old....now he'll see them grow up”

“That's amazing” Sam tells her.

“I've never felt like that before” she admits. “I was.....so happy that day” she whispers and looks over at Dean who is talking to Charlie looking at her shoulder. “But all I wanted to do was.....tell him” she then looks to Sam. “Tell both of you what I'd done”

“Why didn't you?” Sam asks.

“It didn't seem that impressive after you told me everything you did” She answers. “So I kept it to myself” Sam sets his arm over her shoulders and pulls her closer.

…...........................

A man entering the terminal holds the door open for Charlie, Katherine, Dean and Sam, who are coming out.

“Thank you” Charlie tells the man. The four of them heading through the terminal towards the buses. “I left your dumb flask on the back seat, by the way. Worst good-luck charm ever” Katherine hands Charlie her bag.

“Here you go” Katherine offers.

“Thanks” Charlie smiles flirtatiously at Katherine.

“Tongue back in mouth, please” Dean teases. “She's spoken for” Katherine looks to Dean and raises an eyebrow.

“Am I?” She asks back, Dean takes her hand.

“Yeah” he offers, they share a look, Katherine's eyes swimming with emotion, she looks away first and smiles down at her boots.

“So listen, um, we can't thank you enough” Sam tells Charlie.

“Actually, you can. Never contact me again, like, ever. Deal?” Charlie asks, and holds out her hand to Sam, who shakes it.

“Deal” Charlie shakes hands with Dean and then hugs Katherine, Katherine smirks at Dean who wrinkles his nose a little.

“Keep your head down out there, okay?” Katherine tells Charlie hugging her back.

“This ain't the first time I've disappeared. You think my name is really Charlie Bradbury? Please. So, good luck saving the world” Charlie raises a hand in a Vulcan salute. “Peace out, bitches” Charlie hands her bag to the bus driver to stow.

“She's kind of like the little sister I never wanted” Dean comments wrapping his arm around Katherine's shoulders and kisses her head.

“We got to talk” Sam tells them both as they start to walk away.

“What, you mean before we get back to the car and the flask?” Katherine asks.

“Exactly. So, what the hell happened back in the lobby?” Sam asks.

“Man, if I had a free shot, I'd have bitch-slapped the hell out of Dick”

“Yeah, but, I mean” Sam stops and turns to face Dean and Katherine. “Charlie got her freaking arm broken”

“That was my fault” Katherine points out.

“No” Sam assures her. “If she'd hit that post it would have been so much worse”

“He didn't mean to do it” Dean argues.

“Exactly. He's not in control, not about Dick. That was vengeful-spirit crap”

“I know. But it's still Bobby”

“But if he really goes there, he won't be any more, and then we won't be able to pull him back. And then what are we supposed to do?” Sam asks.

“I know. Look, let's just figure out what that thing we stole is, and then we'll figure out what the hell to do with Bobby” Dean raises his eyebrows at Sam, then walks off with Katherine. After a moment, Sam follows them.

…...............

Katherine rests against Dean's side as he drives, Sam sleeps in the back. Dean glances to Katherine as she plays with the heating knobs on the dash.

“You feeling better?” he asks, she nods.

“Yes” she answers before stopping and looking up at him. “What you said to Charlie?” she asks, Dean clears his throat.

“Well..I was...you know...” Dean starts trying to not look at her.

“If you didn't mean it, it's okay” she assures him sadly. He does look to her now. “It's okay” she offers a small fake smile.

“Why wouldn't I mean it?” he asks.

“You know I'm dead, right?” she whispers to him. He laughs a little and nods.

“Yeah, Kat, I know” he whispers back and kisses her nose before pulling back.

“So I'm...spoken for?” she asks with a smile, he pulls her closer and nods a little. She watches his face before she nuzzles into his neck.

...................

Katherine, Sam and Dean enter a large unlit room carrying flash lights and bags, including the case they stole from Dick Roman. Katherine puts the case on a table and Dean puts a duffel bag down on the floor. Sam opens his laptop. Katherine takes the cloth covered piece of clay from the case and starts to unwrap it. She puts it on the table. Dean walks over with a tool box.

“That's a lot of fuss over a caveman Lego” Dean comments.

“Yeah. Well, whatever Dick wants is bricked up inside that” Katherine tells them running her hands over the clay. “I can feel something....like a...thrumming, a vibration, there's definitely something inside of this thing” Dean takes a mallet out of the tool box, hands Sam a pair of safety glasses and puts some on himself, he holds a pair out to Katherine who shoots him a look.

“Put them on, please” he asks of her, she takes the safety glasses and pulls them on. “All right” Dean hits the clay once. Thunder claps. Dean hits the clay again. Lightning flashes and thunder claps. Katherine places her hand on Dean's arm to stop him.

“That sound like somebody saying, "No, wait – stop," to you?” she asks.

“Uh... Yeah. Yeah” Sam agrees sharing a look with Katherine.

“Yeah” Dean shrugs. “Oh, well” Dean hits the clay several more times. But nothing happens. Katherine pushes Dean out of the way and clenches her metal fist before she just punches the rock. The clay crumbles around what ever is inside, Dean, Katherine and Sam look down, Katherine reaches down and lifts an inscribed stone tablet out of the broken clay casing. Katherine traces the writing on it.

…..................

Castiel lies in bed with his eyes closed as lightning flashes and thunder claps. Meg, who is pretending to be Nurse Masters, is sitting by his bed listening to music and reading a magazine. Meg raises her eyes from the magazine to see that Castiel has sat up. He turns to look at her.

…...................

Katherine sits with a screwdriver between her lips and a panel on her leg open, her fingers pressed inside feeling for something, Dean watches her slightly, a smile on his lips. He moves and sits behind her, brushing her hair aside to kiss her neck, his nose brushing over her skin. She hums a little around the screwdriver.

“What are you doing?” Dean asks, she drops the screwdriver from her lips and looks to him.

“I think a screw came loose” she answers. “I could hear it rattling, was irritating me” she admits. “I didn't want to worry anyone so I just thought I'd fix it myself, but I can't see to....” she complains.

“Tell me what to do” Dean sits up and scoots around to the other side taking her metal ankle. “Just talk me through it” he takes the screwdriver and looks like an eager puppy. She sighs and nods a little.

“Okay” she whispers, she motions to the panel. “It's pretty tight so you're gonna have to rely on touch and reaction” he nods and sets the screwdriver into the panel.

“When was the last time this thing was actually looked at by someone who knows what they're doing?” Dean asks peering inside her leg.

“At least....6 years” she answers.

“How often did they check it?” he asks.

“Every 6 months” she answers. “I do my best” she argues.

“Hey, babe, I wasn't doubting that, the fact that you left them, I know you can take care of yourself” he uses the screwdriver to touch something inside her leg. “This one?” he asks. She gasps a little.

“No” she growls as it sends an electric shock up to the connection point on her hip.

“Sorry” he offers quickly. “Urm this one” he touches another and she nods.

“I think so” she agrees watching. “Just tighten it” she tells him laying back, letting him work on her leg.

“I'm pretty go at this” he teases lightly. “Like fixing a car just more....delicate” she chuckles a little as he sets the panel back and screws that shut too. He sets the screwdriver down and leans over her, his elbows either side of her face, her legs boxing him in. “Hi” he greets with a smirk, she chuckles again and kisses him as he brushes his fingers over her cheek.

“If you two are gonna....tell me and I'll go out for an hour” Sam complains screwing up his face. Dean makes his own face and nods. Sam shakes his head and stands. “I'll go for a walk” Sam then leaves, Dean chuckles and looks back to Katherine.

“Are we?” she asks, he nods and smirks at her already pushing her shirt up her stomach, she rolls her eyes fondly and lets him. He kisses her collar bone and moves down her body, lavishing more attention on her scarred right side, before doing the same to the left. He runs his hands over her skin as if he is mapping her to memory, even though he's done it plenty of times before. He brushes her hair back when he reaches her face, his lips moving along her jaw as she shifts under him, already moaning, he reaches between them and pushes her shorts down her legs, helping her out of them before he is looming over her, looking down at her, his hand running over her flesh thigh. She closes her eyes and starts to breath heavily. His touch is something else, even against the harshness of her body. He pulls his own shirt up and over his head and then starts unbuckling his jeans. She sits up and pushes him back, he chuckles as she works on his trousers, unbuttoning them and pulling them down his legs, he's already hard, had been since the moment he sat behind her. He breaths out in relief, no longer trapped by the confines of the denim, Katherine wraps her flesh fingers around him and licks along his length, his eyes roll into the back of his head and he has to try really, really not to buck up into her mouth, he's never felt anything like this before, the warmth, the wetness, the way she takes all of him in her mouth like it's nothing, he's not a small man, in fact, he's rather proud of his size. He gathers all her hair up on the back of her head and gently rock his hips back and forth, slowly thrusting into her mouth. Andall too soon he feel it, the tightening in his stomach. But not yet, too soon, he wants to be inside of her, always inside of her. He stops her, pulling at her hair slightly and then moving her backwards, to crawl over her, he grabs her waist and pulls her underneath him to just impale himself on her. She clutches to his shoulders, a moaning, writhing mess already. He takes her hands from his shoulders and threads his fingers with hers pressing them down above her head. It something different this time, more personal, more intimate. He moves with her, hands held together above her head. His lips moving with her. This is making love. This time he is making sure she knows how he feels as he's not very good at vocalising it. So he will show her instead. He clutches to her hands, both of them, and moans against her lips. And it really doesn't take long for either of them to get close. This is so much more intense then anything before, not just with each other, but with any one, ever. She arches her back as she cums, his lips travelling down to her throat, he bites down as his follows, his hips pressed to hers as he empties himself inside of her. Both stay still, wrapped up together, her arms moving around his neck as his own slip under her back, hugging her to him.

............

Dean sleeps on his side with his arms wrapped around Katherine who sleeps curled into his chest. Legs tangled together. It's the most comfortable he's slept even if it is on a warehouse floor, that's both freezing and dirty. The radio starts to play close by. Katherine groans as it wakes her, Dean stretching slightly to glare at the offending noise.

“Sorry” Sam offers. “Came on louder then I thought it would” he offers turning the volume down. Katherine sits up and brushes her hair back.

“...At a lost to explain the continent-wide storm system that appeared seemingly out of nowhere, blanketing a good part of the nation in freak lightning displays” the reporter states on the news. Dean stands up as Katherine lays beck down curling into the blanket. “Here with Dr. Marlon Price of the U.S. Meteorological Survey at a press conference earlier today”

“Baffled? No, I'm not baffled”Dr. Marlon states over the radio as Dean walks to the sink attached to the wall and washes his face. “Frankly, I'm offended. This is not the way weather behaves” Dean dries his face and walks back over to where Katherine now sits pulling on her glove over her metal hand. Dean kisses her head and takes the seat beside her.

“Power outages and related damages to electronic equipment have been reported from as far east as Cape Cod and with no word or sightings of Thor in the area, we can assume this is not the work of the Aveng...” Sam turns off the radio and yawns against the back of his hand. A metal cup near Dean moves.

“Bobby? Bobby, that you?” Dean asks.

“Think so” Sam answers as he holds up a flashing EMF reader. “But that whole adventure at Roman's seems to have drained his batteries”

“So, what? We start the storm heard 'round the world?” Dean asks glancing to Katherine who shrugs.

“When we broke this thing” Sam starts and touches the stone tablet. “Open last night, every maternity ward within a hundred-mile radius got slammed. Looks like any woman in the last month of her pregnancy went into labor”

“Hmm” Dean moves and picks up the tablet, he winks at Katherine. “This one goes out to all the ladies. So, heavyweight signs, omens – what do we got?” Dean asks.

“I assume it's writing. But I've never seen anything like it, ever. And it doesn't match anything in any book or online” Sam answers.

“Kat?” Dean asks looking to her. “No, vampy feelings? Hydra training?” he asks, she shakes her head.

“No idea” she answers. “I don't like it, whatever it is” she admits.

“Why?” Sam asks.

“Just....makes my skin vibrate” she admits, Dean smirks a little. “It wasn't the sex” she quickly tells him, Dean looks to Sam who rolls his eyes a little.

“All right, so big daddy chomper lands here, he grabs himself some Dick...” Dean pauses, Katherine looks down and smirks, Sam looks unimpressed and unamused “And then he starts secretly underwriting university departments, pouring money into digs – all for this. Why?”

“No clue. We do know that he will be tearing new ones until he gets it back, though” Sam points out.

“Then we hold up somewhere safe, find out what we've got” Katherine offers standing.

“Rufus' cabin, then?” Dean asks.

“Yeah” Sam agrees.

“This time, I'm doing the shopping” Dean tells Sam, and then turns to Katherine. “Pick up some blood or something” he offers moving to her and touches her shoulder, she looks up ta him. Sam's cell phone starts ringing, Sam picks it up.

“It's Meg” he states, Katherine raises an eyebrow at Dean.

“Who's Meg?” she asks.

“Demon” Dean answers.

“What?” Sam asks Meg as he answers the phone.

“What up, Bullwinkle? Just a little FYI call. Your boy's awake” Meg tells Sam.

“What?” Sam sits up paying attention now, he looks to Dean. “Cas is awake”

“When?” Dean asks, Sam puts the phone on speaker and holds it out. “When?” Dean repeats for Meg.

“Last night about eight” Meg answers.

“And you waited till now to call us?” Dean argues.

“I've been busy with Cas. He's just a tad different than when he dozed off, 'kay?” Meg argues.

“What do you mean, different?” Dean asks.

“Hey, Seacrest, guess what – not a nurse. Just playing one on TV. Want answers? Start driving” Meg hangs up.

“So...she seems nice” Katherine offers, Dean looks to her and smirks.

“You have no idea” he teases a little.

“So, Indiana?” Sam asks.

“Yeah” Dean agrees, Katherine cocks her head.

“Eight o’clock last night” she adds Sam nods.

“Yeah. Same time we opened up that thing” they all look to the tablet.

….............

Castiel is looking out the window in his room.

…..............

Katherine, Dean and Sam walk down the hallway of the hospital.

“We raced all the way here, and now I don't know. I can't say I'm fired up to see what's left of the guy” Dean comments taking Katherine's hand in his, holding onto her.

“You think he remembers at all?” Sam asks.

“That, and I'm guessing whatever kind of hell baggage he lifted off of your plate. It's not gonna be pretty” Dean comments, an orderly approaches them.

“Hey. Excuse me, but it's way past visiting hours”

“It's okay, Abel. I've been expecting them” Meg states, the orderly walks away. “Hello, boys” Meg then looks to Katherine. “And...is this who I think it is?” Meg starts to smirk. “You and your brother are infamous”

“Leave her alone” Dean warns pulling Katherine closer. “Where's Cas?” Dean stirs the conversation away from Katherine. Meg nods to a room behind her. She turns and leads them into the room where Castiel is still staring out the window. “Hey, Cas” Castiel turns around.

“Hello, Dean. Sam” Castiel looks to Katherine. “Katherine” he greets.

“Hey, Castiel” Sam greets back, Dean steps closer to the angel, Katherine hangs back.

“Look at you, walkin' and talkin'. That's – that's great, right?” Dean asks, Castiel walks over to Dean and points a finger at him.

“Pull my finger”

“What?” Dean asks.

“My finger – pull it” Dean does so. There is a crash, the lights go out and window and light fixture shatter. Castiel laughs. Meg turns on a lamp with a sighs.

“This is Castiel?” Katherine asks as she smirks. “This is an angel?” Dean shoots her a look.

“Okay, just hang on, Cas” Dean tells Cas turning back. “Wait. Let us catch up to you for a second”

“So, you're saying you remember who you are, what you are” Sam asks.

“Yes. Of course. Oh. Outside today, in the garden, I followed a honeybee. I saw the route of flowers. It's all right there, the whole plan. There's nothing to add” Katherine looks to Meg.

“You might want to add a little Thorazine” she comments. Meg snorts and nods in agreement.

“Right? He's been like the naked guy at the rave ever since he woke up. Totally useless”

“Will you look at her? My caretaker. All of that thorny pain. So beautiful”

“We've been over this. I don't like poetry. Put up or shut up” Meg scolds Castiel.

“Okay. So, Cas, you said you woke up last night?” Sam asks.

“Yes. I heard a ping that pierced me, and, well, you wouldn't have heard it unless you were an angel at the time” Sam looks to Katherine who moves to Castiel and holds out a bag containing the stone tablet.

“That's also when we opened this” she admits, Castiel takes the bag and pulls out the table.

“Oh. Of course. Now I understand”

“Understand what?” Sam asks.

“You were the ones. Well... I guess that makes sense”

“What makes sense?” Dean counter asks.

“If someone was going to free the Word from the vault of the earth, it would end up being you two. Oh, I love you guys” Castiel pulls Dean and Sam into a hug, Katherine smirks a little.

“Oh. Uck. Okay. All right. Okay” Dean mumbles, Sam pats Castiel briefly on the back.

“Yeah, yeah. You – you said something about The Word. Is that what's written on there?” Sam asks.

“Did you know that a cat's penis is sharply barbed along its shaft? I know for a fact the females were not consulted about that” Castiel informs them.

“Cas, please, we're losing ground out there, okay? We need your help. Can you not see that?” Dean asks, Castiel looks down at the tablet.

“This is the handwriting of Metatron”

“Metatron? You saying a Transformer wrote that?” Sam asks.

“No. That's Megatron” Katherine corrects, Dean and Sam look to her surprised.

“What?” Dean asks her.

“The Transformer – it's Megatron” she answers.

“Hydra teach you that too?” Dean teases, she shoots him a look.

“No” she argues. “When you're on the run and you can't sleep, you watch whatever is on the television.....”

“Transformers?” Dean asks, she nods.

“What?” Sam asks again.

“Metatron. He's an angel. He's the scribe of God. He took down dictation when creation was being formed”

“And that's the Word of God?” Katherine asks pointing to the tablet.

“One of them, yes”

“Uh... Well, what's it say, then?” Sam asks.

“Uh... "Tree”?” Castiel looks at Sam and Dean. “"Horse"? "Fiddler crab"? I can't read it. It wasn't meant for angels”

“Okay, this all sounds bad. What are you two jackasses doing with the Word of God and Winter Shadow? Let me see that thing” Meg reaches for the tablet.

“Back off, Meg” Dean growls.

“Come on, it's my ass, too”

“Back off”

“Damn it! Enough of this "demons are second-class citizens" crap!”

“Don't like conflict” Castiel disappears and the stone tablet drops to the floor, breaking into three pieces.

“Uh..” Katherine complains.

“What the hell was that?” Dean asks.

“You heard him. He doesn't like conflict. He's down in the dayroom now. I guarantee it” Meg answers.

“All right, I'll go handle Cas. Kat, will you please pick up the Word of God?”

“Sure” Katherine answers. Dean leaves the room.

“What are you guys caught up in now?” Meg asks Sam as Katherine starts putting the pieces of the stone tablet into the bag. “I deserve to know, Sam” Sam doesn’t answer. “Okay, fine. I'll hit the road, then. Let me just go get my angel” Meg leaves the room.

“Kat” Sam states as he starts to leave the room, trying to stop a demon he's bringing the vampire. Katherine follows, leaving the bag on the floor in Castiel’s room. “Meg, what are you talking about? Stop”

“We both call, who do you think Cas will come to? I'm guessing me. You heard him – thorny beauty, blah, blah. I'm the saint who stayed with him. He owes me. His words”

“Yeah, what about what he owes us?” Sam asks.

“Well, work on him a little. Maybe he'll start crushing on you, too, hot stuff”

“What are you gonna do with a broken angel? Don't be stupid” Sam argues.

“I'll take power where I can get it. I've got myself to look out for” They hear a noise and head back to Castiel’s room.

“What the hell?” Katherine asks, the bag containing the stone tablet is gone.

“Can you track it?” Sam asks Katherine.

“Of course” she answers and then vamp-speeds away.

…...................

Kevin is running with the bag in his arms. He comes to a stop near a corner of the building.

…...................

Dean is walking down a hallway. He stops at the doorway to the dayroom and looks at Castiel, who is sitting at a table with his back to Dean.

…..................

Kevin is running, Katherine suddenly appears in front of him, thrusts out her hand and knocks him to the ground.

“Not a demon nor a chomper. What the hell are you?” Katherine compels looking down at him.

“I'm a... K-Kevin Tran. I'm in advanced placement. P-p-please don't kill me”

“I'm not gonna kill you” Katherine assures him and helps him back to his feet, she tries to take the bag away from him.

“I'm sorry” Katherine keeps trying to pull the bag from Kevin’s grasp. “I-I'm sorry. I... I don't – I don't know why, but I can't let go of this”


	17. Chapter Sixteen

In the hospital dayroom Dean walks over to stand in front of Castiel.

“You realize you just broke God's Word?” Dean asks Castiel, Castiel looks away and Dean sits down at the table opposite him. “It's Sam's thing, isn't it? You taking on his, uh, cage-match scars. I'm guessing that's what broke your bank, right?”

“Well, it took... everything to get me here”

“What are you talking about, man?”

“Dean, I know you want different answers”

“No, I want you to button up your coat and help us take down Leviathans. Do you remember what you did?” Castiel holds up the board game “Sorry!” He shakes it once and the board and pieces appear on the table, set up ready to play. Castiel sets the box aside.

“Do you want to go first?” Castiel asks.

…................

Kevin is sitting on the bed. Katherine stands in front of him and Meg and Sam flank her.

“You really stepped in it, kid. Oh, man” Meg tells Kevin.

“All I know is, this is – it's for me. I'm supposed to keep it” Kevin holds the tablet to his chest.

“Good luck” Meg tells Katherine.

“But you don't know what it is?” Katherine asks Kevin, he shakes his head. “Open it” she tells him, Kevin unzips the bag and withdraws two pieces of the stone tablet. He fits them together and they knit back together with a brief flash of white light. “Would you look at that?” Katherine teases slightly.

…..................

Dean picks up a “Sorry!” card.

“You know, we weren't sure at first which monkeys were gonna make it” Castiel admits. “No offense, but I” Dean moves a marker on the board. “Was backing the Neanderthals because their poetry was... just amazing. It's in perfect tune” Castiel picks up a card. “With the spheres. But in the end, it was you – the” Castiel moves a marker. “homo sapiens sapiens. You guys ate the apple, invented pants”

“Cas, where can we find this, uh, Metatron? Is he still alive?” Dean asks.

“I'm sorry. I – I think you have to go back to start” Dean moves a marker.

“This is important” Castiel motions for Dean to pick up another card. Dean does and moves another marker. “I think Metatron could stop a lot of bad. You understand that?” Dean asks Castiel, Castiel picks up another card.

“We live in a "sorry" universe. It's engineered to create conflict. I mean, why should I prosper from... your misfortune?” Castiel puts down a marker and moves Dean’s marker back to the start. “But these are the rules. I didn't make them”

“You made some of them. When you tried to become God, when you cut that hole into that wall”

“Dean... it's your move” Dean pounds a fist on the table and swipes the board to the floor. “Forget the damn game! Forget the game, Cas”

“I'm sorry, Dean”

“No. You're playing "Sorry!"” Dean tells him.

…............

Kevin is holding the stone tablet in shaking hands. It is now whole again.

“It's writing” Kevin states.

“Yeah. Yeah, we get that” Sam tells him.

“What's Leviathan?” Kevin asks.

“You can read it?” Katherine asks. “Is that what it says?”

“Sort of. It hurts a little. Like looking through somebody else's glasses, but I think it... it's about Leviathan, how it came to be. God locked him up far away, right? Like in jail... because they're so... they're... they're real, aren't they?” Kevin asks.

“Yeah, Kevin. They – they are. And they're here. Does it say anything about how to kill them?” Katherine compels Kevin. “'Cause that's – that's kind of been a problem”

“I don't know. It's not like reading reading. It – it's hard to focus on it too long” Katherine snaps her head up, Meg's eyes turn black and the lights flicker.

“Something's happening” Katherine states.

“What?” Sam asks, Kevin looks at Meg and screams. He scrambles backwards on the bed. “Kevin, hey, hey, hey. Kevin” The glass lampshade breaks. A woman appears in the doorway.

“Demon. Nightwalker” There is the sound of angel wings and a man appears. The woman makes a hand motion and Meg and Katherine go flying into the wall.

…....................

Castiel is picking up the game pieces. He stops and looks up.

“What?”

“Sam. He's talking to angels”

…....................

“A demon whore and a Winchester... again. The nightwalker is a surprise though” the female angel state, Sam takes a step towards Kevin. “Step away from the Prophet!”

“Who, me?” Kevin asks.

“Sole keeper of the word on earth, we are here to take you”

“What do you mean, "take"?” Kevin asks, the female angel looks to the male angel.

“Kill the demon, her lover and the nightwalker”

“That's not how it – we're not” Meg argues.

“Yeah, she into angels” Katherine offers, Meg shoots her a look, the male angel holds out an arm and Meg slashes at him with a knife. He cups his palm, which is shining with white light.

“Where did you get that?!” the female angel asks. There is a rustling of angel wings and Castiel appears.

“Castiel?” Castiel smiles.

“Hi”

“You're alive?”

“You” the female angel states.

“Hello, Hester”

“You smote thousands in Heaven. You gave a big, scary speech. Then you were gone. What the hell was that?!”

“Rude, for one thing” Castiel answers.

“Where have you been?” the male angel asks.

“Oh, Inias. Hester, I... I know you want something – answers. I... I wish it could be that… There are still many things I can teach you. I can offer, um, well, perspective. Here” Castiel points a finger at Hester. “Pull my finger” Hester doesn’t move. “Uh... Uh... Meg will – will get another light, and I'll – I'll blow it out again. And, well, this time, it'll be funny, and – and we'll all look back and laugh”

“You're insane” Hester tells him.

“Hey” Dean states from the doorway. “Heads up, Sunshine” Dean puts his hand in an angel-banishing sigil he’s drawn on the wall outside the room. White light flares and the angels vanish. “All angels blown back to their corners. We got like three, four hours tops” Sam points to the knife Meg is holding.

“Meg, where did you get that?” Sam asks.

“A lot of angels died this year”

“What's happening?! What's happening?!” Kevin asks.

“What is that?”

“It's, uh... Kevin Tran. He's, uh, in advanced placement” Katherine answers Dean.

“So, these Leviathans – these monsters are real. And angels with wings?” Kevin asks.

“No. Uh... no wings. No anything” Sam answers.

“No junk. Junkless. So, Kevin, you can, uh, read the chicken scratch on the God rock, huh?” Dean asks.

“Uh, I…”

“That is back in one piece, I see. And you're saying that there's some sort of a "How to punch Dick" recipe in there somewhere?” Dean counter asks.

“I-I don't know what you're saying, but it seems kind of like an "in case of emergency" note. What did they mean by "prophet"?”

“Oh, no” Dean looks to Sam. “Really?”

“Yeah. Yeah, that's what the angel said” Sam answers.

“I don't want to be a prophet” Kevin tells them.

“No. You don't at all”

“Gentlemen, we've got to start running and hiding. Or do you want to tangle with those wing nuts twice?” Meg tells them all.

“I'm sorry. Did you say "we"?”

“I'm on the angels' radar now. You think I don't need a little safety in numbers?” Meg argues with Dean.

“All right, we'll go to Rufus' cabin. Kid can do his book report there” Dean looks to Katherine she nods a little.

…..................

At Al's Mini Mart Kevin is asleep in the back seat of the vehicle, which Dean is filling with gas, Katherine sits in the front with her knee to her chest, her mind reeling, this is all crazy, this is all so crazy. Dean leans into the car and touches her shoulder, she looks to him, she gives him a small smile.

“This is a bit much for you, isn't it?” he asks her, she shrugs.

“Angels, demons, prophets....” she starts. “Does that mean that God is real?” she asks, he shrugs. “If he is....then why did I have to suffer?” she asks him. “Why did I have to die?” Dean kisses her forehead and she closes her eyes, sending a few tears down her cheek.

“I don't know” he offers pulling back. “I really don't” he whispers stroking her cheek.

…............

Meg is reading a magazine at the counter as the clerk puts her purchases in a bag. Sam walks to the counter with an armful of groceries and two coffees. A commercial plays on the TV in the store.

“We know you're hungry. Why not enjoy Biggerson's homemade pie bar? It's like a salad bar but with pie”

“Now back to our top story on news 10, the search for the missing honor student”

“The victim in this case reportedly insisted” Sam puts his groceries down on the counter and looks up at the TV. “He'd been chosen by birthright, causing speculation that a cult may be behind the abduction. The family car is also missing. Federal authorities have been placed on alert”

“Again, 16-year-old honor student Kevin Tran reportedly taken from his Michigan home early yesterday”

…..................

Meg is leaning against an ice machine, reading her magazine. She looks up at two truck drivers standing nearby.

“Oh, crap” The truck drivers have black eyes.

….............

Dean is now hanging up the gas pump.

“Hey” Sam approaches and hands Dean a coffee. “So, we got another wrinkle. Uh, looks like Kevin's gone missing... and it's gone federal. Yeah. Where's Meg?”

“I'm here” Meg answers appearing.

“Great, so now we're kidnappers?” Dean asks.

“Not if we shut up about it. Why? Who'd we kidnap?” Meg counters.

….............

The vehicle drives along a wet road.

….............

Katherine sits between Sam and Dean, Dean's arm around her shoulder keeping her close, she's been quiet since the mini mart. Kevin is asleep in the back seat. He wakes and looks at Meg.

“Oh, God”

“What?” Meg asks him.

“Nothing. Nothing. Just... my life... my future...” Meg's phone rings. “…my girlfriend... my mom's car” Meg answers her phone.

“Yeah. Yeah, Castiel. It's me”

“Cas? Where? Where is he?” Dean asks.

“Shut up” Meg hisses at Dean. “No. No, Cas. You talk......Perth?”

“Perth? As in Australia?” Dean asks.

“What dogs?” Meg asks Castiel and then turns to everyone else. “He says he's surrounded by unhappy dogs....Oh. Okay. He's at a dog track in Perth.......Yeah, they're unhappy 'cause the rabbit's fake. Listen, we're on highway 94, north of St. Cloud, Minnesota, just passing mile marker 79.” Castiel materializes in the back seat between Meg and Kevin.

“Aah!” Kevin screams, Katherine cringes reaching to cover her ears.

“Kevin, this is Castiel” Meg tells Kevin.

“You're one of the angels?” Castiel touches a finger to Kevin’s nose.

“Boop” Castiel turns to Meg. “Meg, are you hurt?”

“Shut up” Meg snaps back.

“Cas, what happened back there? Who were those guys?” Dean asks.

“They're from the Garrison – my old Garrison. Looks like Hester's taken over. We were assigned to watch the earth. Often, it was boring. The wars were very boring and the sex – you know, the repetition. Anyway, I was, uh... I was their captain. Isn't that strange?”

“Cas, why are they pissed at us now?” Sam asks. Castiel looks to Meg.

“You know, those racing dogs were absolutely miserable. They can only think in ovals”

“Cas, don't make me pull this car over! Why are angels after us?”

“Are you angry? Why are you angry?”

“No, I-I'm... Please, can we just stay on target?”

“There is no reason for anger. They're only following protocol. If the Word of God is revealed, a keeper of the Word will awaken, like this” Castiel touches Kevin’s nose. “Hot potato right here” Kevin slaps Castiel’s hand away.

“Please stop that”

“Anyway, Garrison code dictates you take the keeper to the desert to learn the Word away from men”

“What kind of sense does that make? He has to tell us so that we can use it”

“That's God and his shiny red apples” Castiel tells them.

“I can't live in the desert. I-I'm applying to Princeton!”

“Okay, you know what? Screw the Garrison. We need the tablet to end Sick Roman's "Soylent Us" crap”

“If you want the Word, you'll have to duck Hester and her soldiers” Castiel tells them.

“Yeah, you're in our corner, right, Cas?”

“No, I don't fight any more. I watch the bees” Castiel then cocks his head. “Katherine” she lifts her head from Dean's shoulder and looks to him. “I'm sorry” he tells her. She frowns.

“For what?” she asks him.

“For this” he answers and then presses his fingers to her forehead, she stares at him and then promptly passes out. Dean looks to her and then to Castiel.

“What did you do?!” Dean snaps as Sam checks on Katherine. “Sam?” Dean asks.

“She's alive...or her version of alive anyway” He shifts her head slightly setting her against Dean.

“I didn't kill her” Castiel argues. “I helped her” Dean glares at him. “I gave them back to her” he offers cryptically.

…...........

Dean carries Katherine into Rufus' cabin, she's still unconscious, and he's still mad at Castiel, he shifts her slightly and lays her down on her bed in the back room. Castiel lingers in the doorway behind him.

“She'll wake” Castiel tells him, Dean shoots him a look.

“She better” Dean snaps and then brushes her hair back. Castiel leaves the room, Dean shakes his head and then follows reluctantly.

….............

Castiel is drawing a symbol on the wall in chalk.

“Let's leave off angel-proofing sigils or I'll be expelled, too” Castiel states.

“As long as we're invisible to your Garrison buddies, it works for me” Sam counters.

…..............

Dean and Kevin walk downstairs.

“I'm sure you're pretty hungry, so once we get settled in upstairs, we'll get some dinner going” Dean tells him, Kevin comes to a halt at the foot of the stairs. Dean clears a space on the table, which is covered with knives.

“This looks like a sex-torture dungeon. Is this a sex-torture dungeon?” Kevin asks, Dean picks up a scythe.

“No, this is not a sex-torture... Get over here. Sit down and read, would you?” Dean asks.

...............

Dean knocks on the bedroom door and pushes it open hearing the bed creak on the other side, it's eerily quiet in the room and Katherine sits on the bed facing away from him, her metal hand is whirled as she traces her metal arm with her flesh fingers, Dean watches her a moment but she makes no move to acknowledge him, or even give a hint that she knows he's there with her.

“Kat?” Dean asks carefully, she seems tense, on edge, something about her frame is off. “You okay, sweetheart?” he takes a step towards her, she runs her fingers through her hair, her metal hand getting caught, she groans. “Here” Dean moves to her and helps untangle her hair.

“It's so much” she whispers, he frowns and looks to her face.

“What is?” he asks, she starts to cry.

“It's so much” she repeats staring at the wall ahead of her, he untangles her hand and she sets it in her lap limply. She looks wrecked, he notes, her face is pale, her eyes seem gaunt, her vampire veins keep creeping and then retreating subconsciously with her mood.

“Sweetheart, you have to talk to me, so I know you're okay” he lifts her chin so she's looking at him, but her eyes are glazed, and she seems so far away.

“So much” she whispers, he watches her worried.

“You're starting to scare me” he admits, her eyes flicker slightly and she seems to come back. “Kat?” he asks.

“I remember” she whispers. “I remember” Dean frowns at her.

“Remember what, sweetheart?” he asks, she looks so heartbroken, she looks like she is in so much pain that it aches.

“Everything” she admits. “I remember everything”

“Everything?” he asks, she nods.

“Everything” she answers and then just breaks down, Dean pulls her closer and kisses her head. “Everything” she whispers into his chest clutching at the back of his shirt. “Everything” she repeats closing her eyes, exhaustion washing over her, emotional hell, relieving all her locked memories in the space of seconds, her entire human life just thrown at her like a freight train of emotion, that hit her, everything she lost, everything Hydra took from her, Bucky and Steve and her little sister. She remembers how much she loved them, how much she cared. Dean just holds her as she cries, cries until she just run out, she just stops and clutches to him, he doesn't know how long he holds her but when Sam comes to check on them, Katherine is asleep. Sam raises an eyebrow at Dean.

“She okay?” Sam asks, Dean shakes his head and lays her down before standing.

“Cas pretty much swamped her with her missing memories” Dean answers. “She just seems a little out of it” Dean closes the door behind them as they head into the cabin.

“He didn't do it to be mean” Sam offers, Dean nods.

“No, I know” Dean assures him. “I know...just....she's overwhelmed” Dean runs his fingers through his hair and sighs. “Can you imagine?” Dean asks. “Just having those memories, and not just the memories but the feelings as well, thrown at you, all at once, especially for someone that was trained to block out emotions” Dean sighs.

“You're worried about her” Sam points out with a small smirk.

“You deny that she hasn't wormed her way in” Dean counter teases.

“For a vampire” Sam starts. “Katherine is actually pretty great” he agrees. “And I'm worried too....I get this, I get having locked memories just dropped on you”

“It drove you mad” Dean argues.

“But Katherine is not me” Sam offers. “She'll deal with this and come out just fine” Sam pats his shoulder and walks away, Dean sighs a little.

…...............

Later Sam sits down on the floor of the cabin near Castiel.

“You seem troubled. Of course, that's a primary aspect of your personality, so I sometimes ignore it” Castiel tells Sam.

“Okay. Um... right now I'm just wondering about you”

“What about me? You're worried about the burden I lifted from you”

“I think I was done for. Do you see Lucifer?”

“I did at first. But that was... It was a projection of yours, I think, sort of an aftertaste. Now I more see... well, everything” Castiel assures Sam, Meg watches from across the room. “It's funny. I was – I was done for, too” Meg leaves. “The weight of all my mistakes, all those lives and souls lost, I... I couldn't take it, either. I was… I was lost until I took on your pain. It's strange to think that that helped, but...”

“I know you never did anything but try to help. I realise that, Cas, and I'm grateful. We're all grateful. And we're gonna help you get better, okay? No matter what it takes”

“What do you mean, "better"?” Castiel asks confused.

….....................

In the cabin basement Dean is asleep in a chair and Kevin is writing at the table. His hands start to shake and his vision blurs. Kevin stands up, hyperventilating.

“Kevin” Dean states with his eyes still closed.

“This is all too much. What's happened to my life? I'm just a kid from Michigan. I didn't want to be a Word-keeper!”

“Looks like we're brown-baggin' it.” Dean stands up and picks up a brown paper bag.

“I am not prepared to factor the supernatural into my” Dean puts the brown paper bag over Kevin’s face. “World view”

“Okay, there we go” Dean pats Kevin on the back. “That's it. That's it. Just breathe. Take it easy” Kevin holds onto the bag and breathes into it. “Oh, I don't know, man. What can I say? You've been chosen. And it sucks. Believe me. There's no use asking "why me?" 'Cause the angels – they don't care. I think maybe they just don't have the equipment to care. Seems like when they try, it just... breaks them apart”

“I just want to be the first Asian-American President of the United States”

“Then do your homework” Dean tells him.

….................

Sam and Castiel look up as Katherine leaves the bedroom, she still looks rough around the edges, her eyes wide, bloodshot and red, and her flesh hand is shaking against her chest.

“Hey” Sam greets. “You feeling better?” she shakes her head a little.

“Bucky” she offers as an answers, Sam nods a little. “I keep...I keeping seeing his face....over and over, and then I see the Winter Soldier” she stares at the wall a little. “Just...we both”

“That's not your fault” Sam tells her. “Bad people did bad things to you both without your permission, and they forced you to do bad things, that doesn't make you bad people”

“But we still did those things” Katherine argues. “And we have to live with it” she whispers. “I remember this time....Bucky killed a spider that was crawling across the living room floor” she stares off. “He felt so bad about it made a spider box and set it up in the garden.....he even gave them scraps of food” she smiles a little and then it falls, she just stands there staring at a spot on the wall.

“Kat?” Sam asks.

“She's remembering the time they went to Cony Island” Castiel states. “Steve threw up on her dress” he adds with a small smile. “After riding the Cyclone”

“Why did you do it?” Sam asks Castiel who looks to him. “She's a vampire....”

“Nightwalkers are different” Castiel admits. “They're not...hell creatures” Castiel looks to Katherine. “They are God's” Sam frowns a little.

“What?” he asks.

“Look at them compared to the other vampires” Castiel explains. “They're bite is not fatal, in fact I hear being bitten by one is rather pleasurable, they heal with their blood, they can take away pain with a single thought, they look and feel and sound human”

“But they can only be out at night” Sam adds.

“They were created to be protectors” Castiel offers. “To watch over the humans at night when the monsters roamed, in time God gifted the nightwalkers with lapis lazuli, it's a stone.....Katherine wears it around her neck, it means she can walk in the sun”

“Her necklace?” Sam asks and then nods a little.

“Over time the humans started to fall in love with the nightwalkers, but with it came the grief and the pain and the loss, and some became the monsters themselves, imagine watching a mortal love grow old, get sick....die” Sam looks to Katherine who is walking back to her room. “Nightwalkers feel things more intensely then humans, they suffer greeter with pain and laugh harder with joy” Castiel looks down. “They forgot their purpose....” Castiel nods a little. “Katherine is like the old ones, she is trying to help protect, I like her” Sam smiles and nods.

“I like her too” Sam admits.


	18. Chapter Seventeen

Meg enters the cabin and is brought to a sudden halt by a devil’s trap on the floor. Sam turns on the lights.

“Didn't expect to see you back” Sam comments, Dean stood at his side.

“Yeah, not without the King's army” Dean gestures towards Meg. “Knife” Meg hands Dean the angel knife.

“Typical. I save our bacon, and you're sitting here, waiting by a devil's trap. Seriously, I just killed two of Crowley's men. I could have gone the other way on that” Castiel looks up from the floor where he sits with Katherine.

“It's true, incidentally. There's other demons' blood on that blade”

“Look, I'm simpler than you think. I've figured one thing out about this world – just one, pretty much. You find a cause, and you serve it. Give yourself over, and it orders your life. Lucifer and Yellow Eyes – their mission was it for me”

“So, what? We should trust you because you wanted to free Satan from Hell?” Dean asks.

“I'm talking "cause," douchebag, as in reason to get up in the morning. Obviously, these things shift over time. We learn, we grow. Now, for me currently, the cause is bringing down the King. And I know we'll need help to do it”

“Crowley ain't the problem this year” Dean comments.

“When are you gonna get it? Crowley's always the problem. He's just waiting for the right moment to strike. I know what I'm supposed to do. And it isn't screw with Sam and Dean or lose the only angel who'd go to bat for me...or mess with the one woman who scares literally everything” she motions to Katherine. “Or used to...now she's more pathetic then scary” Sam breaks the devil’s trap with his foot.

“This is good – harmony and communication. Now our only problem is Hester” Castiel tells them, Meg looks to him.

“What?”

“Well, here, we're hidden from the Garrison, but when you killed a demon, you put out a pretty clear beacon”

“We need better angel-proofing now” The door breaks and bursts open. Hester, Inais and a new male angel appear in the room, Katherine and Castiel move to their feet.

“You took the Prophet from us?!” Hester snaps.

“I'm – I'm sorry?” Castiel offers and asks at the same time.

“You have fallen in every way imaginable”

“Please, Castiel. We have to follow the code. Help us do our work” the second angel begs.

“He can't help you. He can't help anybody” Dean argues.

“We don't need his help... or his permission” Hester nods to Inais, who nods back. There is the sound of angel wings and Inais disappears. “The Keeper goes to the desert tonight” Inais reappears with Kevin.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Back off. We're actually trying to clean up one of your angel's messes! You know that” Dean snaps.

“He's right. An angel brought the Leviathan back into this world, and – and they begged him. They begged him not to do it” Castiel agrees.

“Look, just give us some time, okay? We will take care of your Prophet”

“Why should we give you anything... After everything you have taken from us? The very touch of you corrupts. When Castiel first laid a hand on you in Hell, he was lost! For that, you're going to pay” Hester walks towards Dean.

“Please. They're the ones we were put here to protect” Castiel argues.

“No, Castiel” Hester raises her hand to backhand Castiel, Katherine appears between them and grabs her wrist, her vampire face showing she snarls, fangs bared. “Get out of the way” Hester tells her. “Or die” Katherine smirks instead, Hester punches Katherine in the face with the hand holding her knife. Katherine keeps her hold on Hester, and only groans slightly rolling her face back to Hester.

“Is that the best you got?” she asks. “Cause I hate to break it to ya, but I can do this all day” Hester raises the knife and presses it to Katherine's chest over her heart, Dean and Sam takes steps forward but Inais and the other angel stop them. Hester starts to push the angel blade into Katherine's chest, but white light blazes from Hester's chest instead and she falls to the ground. Meg has stabbed her. The angel blade clatters on the floor.

“What? Someone had to” Meg comments.

…...............

Later Katherine sits in an armchair with her legs pulled up to her chest, her chin on the top watching Inais and Castiel talking, without Hester the other angels seem to have calmed down a bit. Dean crouches at her side and touches her leg.

“You okay, sweetheart?” he asks, she nods and gives him a small smile.

“You know I remember now” she tells him, he nods. “I remember you” she adds, he raises an eyebrow. “And Ness” she offers with a smile. “I remember” he smiles a little and shrugs.

“Still got in the car, Kat” he complains.

“Yes” she nods and looks away. “It was two years after I lost Bucky and Steve” she starts. “I wasn't coping very well...to loose a twin” she starts. “I felt like half of myself was missing, I just....felt empty and alone and I...” she looks down picking at her jeans. “I was...drinking....” she admits. “A lot” she adds. “I don't remember much of the actual accident, but I know that I shouldn't have been behind the wheel”

“You were drunk” Dean mumbles, she nods.

“Probably actually a good thing now, I don't know if I want to remember what happened” she touches her arm. “The damage” he nods and sets his hand on her arm and sets his chin on top, she looks to him. “I can hear Bucky scolding me” she offers with a smirk. “Like he was actually in my head telling me I was being a damn fool and I was going to get myself killed....” she snorts. “He was right” she smirks. “He'd gloat a little” she whispers and then gives him a small kiss. “Thank you” she offers pulling back. “You tried to save me.....that counts” he smiles a little and stands, gives a quick kiss to her forehead and then walks over to Sam and Kevin, who are sitting at the table. Kevin gives Sam the notebook in which he has translated the stone tablet.

“Thanks, Kevin. Not a lot of people could have handled this” Sam tells him.

“You doing all right there, "chosen one"?” Dean teases a little.

“Yeah”

“Are you ready, Kevin Tran?” Inais asks, the male angel and a second new male angel each put a hand on Kevin’s shoulder. Kevin holds the stone tablet. “Bring the Keeper to his home. We can watch over him there” Inais, the two male angels and Kevin disappear.

“I couldn't find Meg anywhere” Dean states.

“Yes, well, she enjoys laying low” Sam is reading the notebook.

“Here. “Leviathan cannot be slain but by a bone of a righteous mortal washed in the three bloods of the fallen.” Uh... It says we need to start with the blood of a fallen angel” Sam and Dean look at Castiel.

“Well, you know me” He holds out a small bottle and then bleeds into it. “I'm always happy to bleed for the Winchesters” Castiel hands the bottle, which is filled with blood, to Dean.

“What are you gonna do, Cas?” Dean asks him.

“I don't know” Castiel admits and smiles. “Isn't that amazing?” Castiel disappears. Sam goes back goes back to reading the notebook.

“Well, let's get to work” Dean claps Sam on the arm and looks to Katherine as she stands.

…..............................................

Dean sits on Katherine's bed and pulls off his boots, Katherine sits behind him, her flesh fingers press into her head, he glances to her and then sighs a little.

“I can leave you alone if you're not feeling up to company” Dean offers watching Katherine rubs her head.

“No, it's fine” she counters. “Just every now and then I get these flashes...” she looks to him. “Slowing down but...”

“Disorientating?” he asks, she nods.

“I'm remembering things I didn't know I was missing” she offers crawling over the bed to curl into his side. He kisses her head. “Feeling things too, I actually feel something when I think about Bucky and Steve....there's not like an empty hole now....I feel more....me” she looks to him and smiles, and he notes how much more real this smile is, how much easier it seems to be for her. He smiles back at her and then kisses her, pulling her closer to him, she feels softer now too, more human, more whole, warmer under his hands. He turns and pushes her back onto the bed, crawling over her with a smile. He kisses her neck and she wraps her flesh arm around his neck.

…...............

Dean sets a empty bottle on the counter and then turns to face Sam as he pulls his laptop out of his bag.

“I've been thinking” Dean starts, Sam hums listening to him. “After this...when we kill Dick....we should try and get Katherine back to Bucky” Sam looks to him. “She has her memories back now, she remembers her brother, if it was one of us....” Sam nods.

“But how?” Sam asks. “The only person that could help is Steve Rogers and he's gone to ground after the whole....you know....Accords thing. And he took Barnes with him and you really think Stark's gonna help her, he'll use her to get to Rogers and Barnes....”

“Wait” Dean tells his brother a smirk working onto his lips. “You're not attached to her, are you?” he teases.

“Maybe” Sam admits. “She's....part of this now”

“She's family” Dean corrects. Sam nods. “I love her” Dean admits, Sam raises an eyebrow. “I know, but I do....I go out to the store, or she goes out to hunt and I honestly hate being away from her....she smiles and I can forget that we're in a world of crap and pain” Dean smiles. “It's....good what we have, and I don't have to worry about her, not the way I would a human...” Sam nods.

“You're so whipped, man” Sam teases, Dean shoots him a look and shakes his head.

“Anyway” Dean starts. “I wanted to do that thing for her. Reunite her with her brother, her best friend....plus you know...kinda cool to meet Captain America” Sam nods.

“Alright” he agrees. “We kill Dick, then we take a break, find Katherine her family” Dean nods and smiles.

“Yeah” he agrees softly and turns back to the counter.

…......................

Later Sam is typing on his laptop at the table. Dean is sitting on the sofa reading the notebook in which Kevin translated the Word of God.

“Okay, man, I have read this more times than the Playboy I found in Dad's duffel” Dean complains.

“Anna Nicole?” Sam asks.

“Anna Nicole. Oh, the good – they die young, huh?” Sam exhales and smiles/grimaces. “Look, we can read this till our eyes bleed. It ain't getting any clearer”

“Okay. Then what does it mean?”

“Uh… Cut off the head, and the body will flounder” Katherine states from the bedroom doorway, she brushes her hair. They look to her.

“Yeah”

“So the head is Dick Roman” she offers. “Right?” she asks.

“Right”

“So, we go grab the stuff, and we mix ourselves a weapon. End of story” she offers, Dean takes a drink from a beer bottle.

“Look, I'm all for killing Dick. I'm just saying, what then? I mean, what about the rest of the Leviathan? What, are they gonna just... drop dead?”

“Maybe” Katherine offers.

“Maybe? "Maybe" is good enough for you?” Sam asks Katherine.

“One problem at a time, all right?” Dean asks them.

“Okay. But it's not a crazy idea to try and figure out what the catch is before we go crashing the gate”

“Maybe this is the catch. God's not telling us every detail. You know? The word is from God. I don't know how much better it's gonna get” Bobby is standing behind the sofa, Katherine looks to him.

“Kat?” Dean asks, she smiles.

“Hello, Bobby” she greets. Sam and Dean stand up and look around but can't see him.

“Katherine” he greets back. “I've been thinking on that weapon”

“Don't you think you should be saving your strength?” she asks.

“For what?”

“I'm just saying you might want to slow down. You don't look so hot”

“I'm in the Veil. My Brad Pitt days are over. Now, the kid says that the only way to kill Leviathan is with a bone washed in the three bloods of the fallen. It's got to be from a human as light and good as the Leviathan are hungry and dark” Bobby tells her, she snorts.

“Yeah. Good luck with that”

“What's he saying?” Sam asks, Katherine motions to him.

“The rest is doable, and doable now. You've already got the fallen angel blood. Now, next up is blood from the ruler of fallen humanity. Now, the best I can tell, that's Crowley. Numero tres is the father of fallen beasts”

“Which means...?” Katherine asks.

“You got to bleed an Alpha” Bobby tells her.

“An alpha?” she asks.

“What about an alpha?” Dean asks her. She looks to him.

“Bobby thinks that the three bloods think is fallen angel, ruler of fallen humanity...”

“Crowley” Sam states, she nods.

“And the father of fallen beasts” she adds.

“An alpha” Dean and Sam state together.

“But they're all dead” Dean comments. “I mean, every one we found, we rounded up for Crowley, and then Cas whammied them all”

“Well, then, make this Cas' problem, too” Bobby tells them, Katherine sighs and looks to Dean.

“He says make it Cas' problem”

“Cas ain't exactly in the problem-solving mode, Bobby”

“Then Crowley!” Bobby snaps back.

“All right, I get it. I get it” Katherine tells him.

“Do you?!” Bobby snaps at her, she shoots him a look. “I'm just sayin'. I have faith that you kids will figure it out” she looks to him worried. “Relax. I'm fine. Just got a little carried away” he moves closer to her. “Congrats on the dose of memories, Kat” he offers softer, she smiles.

“Thank you” she offers back, he touches her shoulder and she looks to him as he disappears.

…......................

A little while later, Sam watching a Sucrocorp video on his laptop.

“Here at Sucrocorp, your well-being is our number-one priority” Dean pours himself a whiskey and moves to Katherine, he offers her his wrist and she looks to him, he nods, she takes his arm and pushes up his sleeve before feeding from him. “Sucrocorp – eat well, live well” Sam turns the laptop around to show Dean an article titled “Roman Acquires Sucrocorp.”

“"Roman acquires..." What's Sucrocorp?” Dean asks.

“They make food additives, namely high-fructose corn syrup. That crap is in – well, it's in just about everything – um, soda, sauces, bread”

“Don't say pie” Dean begs.

“Definitely pie” Sam counters.

“Bastards. So now what? Roman's moved past restaurants?” Dean asks.

“And into grocery stores, Gas n' Sips, vending machines”

“What can we do about it?”

“Short of going Al Qaeda on their trucks and plants, there's nothing we can do about it” The laptop closes and Sam and Dean jump. Katherine pulls her fangs back.

“Maybe we should listen to Bobby” she offers with a small smirk pricking her finger and letting it drop into Dean's glass.

…...........

Dean sets a bowl down on a table that is set up with chalk symbols, a bottle of blood and candles. He slices his hand with a pocketknife and drips his blood into the bowl, because of Katherine's blood earlier he heals instantly, he smirks.

“Awesome” he comments showing his hand to Sam who rolls his eyes with a smile.

“Et ad congregandum eos coram me” Sam then chants. Sam lights a match and tosses it into the bowl. Flames rise up from the bowl and Crowley appears.

“Hello, boys” Crowley greets and then sees Katherine. “Oh my, aren't you the most delicious looking assassin ever” he coos and then looks to the others.

…...............

Later after Sam and Dean explain the tablet, and Kevin and everything in between.

“So, that's what all the "rumble, rumble" was about” Crowley comments.

“Who translated it for you? Never mind. You gonna give us the blood or not?” Dean asks.

“Happily. But not quite yet. I'm all for chopping Dick, but I can't have you running around with a vial of my blood, now, can I? You know the sheer number of nefarious spells my enemies can use that blood for?”

“Well, then when?” Dean asks.

“Last. After you've got all the other components. Most difficult, the angel part, I'm assuming. Given your role in their little apocalypse, I can't imagine the choirboys upstairs are wetting their vestments to do you – what's the word? – a solid. Unless, of course, you have an angel up your sleeve”

“Well, that'd be convenient, but, uh, no” Dean comments.

“Don't worry about it. We'll get the angel blood one way or another. We just need you to be ready next time we call” Sam argues.

“Fine. Oh, here's a tip. I have it on good authority there's one Alpha still among us”

“Whose authority?” Dean asks.

“Mine. Wily character, that Alpha vampire. Somehow made good his prison break before Cas went nuclear on the place”

“And you know this how?”

“Keep your friends close, your enemies, blah blah. Needless to say, I keep tabs. He moves around quite a bit. But I have an inkling I know where to start the Easter-egg hunt. Happy trails. And take your little pet with you.....vamp on vamp might be the best way to go” Crowley disappears.

“Okay. Where, jackass?!” Dean shouts at thin air. Flames rise on the table. As they die down, we see that words have been carved into the table.

“Hoople, North Dakota”

“Piece of paper would have worked” Katherine mumbles a little, Dean snorts.

….................

Dean is leaning next to the trunk of the car as it fills with gas. Sam is leaning against the passenger side. Katherine stands a little way away with her eyes closed, they've started recognising it as her 'memory face', moments she'll just slip into her old memories, they leave her alone for them. Sam watches her as she comes out of it, her shoulders tensing with reality.

“Hey” Sam tells Dean and makes a motion with his hand to indicate drinking from a flask. Dean takes the flask out of his jacket pocket and puts it in the car. Dean then hangs up the gas pump and he and Sam walk towards Katherine. “Hey” Sam touches her shoulder and she looks to them. “Did Bobby seem angry?” he asks her, she nods.

“He was a little snappy” she offers.

“But was he showing signs of fatigue, like – like fritzing?” Sam asks her, she shakes her head.

“No, actually, it was just the opposite. He said he never felt stronger” they turn and walks towards the store.

“That's what I was afraid of” Sam complains. “The stronger he gets, the closer he comes to going full vengeful spirit. That's reality. We need to talk about what we're going to do with him”

“Do with him?” Dean asks.

“Yeah”

“Three weeks ago, you were – you were talking how this could work. And now – now you want to go Kevorkian on his ass?” Dean asks as they enter the store.

“I'm just saying that the lore doesn't have a single real-life example of Casper the Friendly Ghost. It's all basically poltergeists until a hunter comes along...”

“Yeah, well, the lore sucks” Dean argues.

“I'm talking pure hatred, Dean. No humanity. I mean, he could... kill... possess people. I mean, Bobby could burn this friggin' building down. Look, if he goes off the rails.....”

“Hey” Katherine interrupts them watching something away from them.

“What?” Sam asks her, she points.

“Check out that guy over there. He seem a little out of it to you?” she ask. They look at a man who is pumping mustard onto a hot dog.

“I-I don't know. Maybe”

“What about her over here?” She points at a woman who is staring at a refrigerator containing beer.

“Yeah, they – they look like, uh....” The man is still pumping mustard onto his hot dog. Another man is slurping a giant slushie through a straw. “Like those Turducken people. It's starting” Sam picks up a can and reads the ingredients. “It's the corn syrup. Everything in the store is laced with it”

“Everything?” Dean asks. The first man continues to pump mustard onto his hot dog. “Hey, man, I'm gonna go into toxic shock, okay? I-I... I need my road food”

“That's what Roman is banking on” Katherine adds.

“Hey. Hey” Dean holds up a pie in a plastic container. “This one says natural. Th-th-that means it's safe. Right?” Dean asks, Sam puts the pie back on the shelf.

“I hate to break it to you, but corn syrup is natural, technically”

“Well, then what the hell are we supposed to eat?” Dean asks, Sam holds up a basket containing bananas and bottled water.

….................

Dean is looking through binoculars from the driver’s seat of the parked car.

“It's totally dark. I can't see inside” Sam is in the passenger seat and Bobby in the back seat with Katherine. Katherine rolls her eyes and then climbs out of the car, she vamp-speeds away, Dean and Sam sigh before climbing out to follow her. As they reach the front door Katherine reappears.

“Okay. Place is clear. But there's something you're gonna want to see” she tells them and heads back inside.

….................

Katherine, Bobby, Dean and Sam enter a large room. Dean and Sam are carrying machetes. Three bodies are laid out on a table.

“Careful” Dean leans over to look at one of the bodies, which has pointed teeth and is badly burned around the mouth and neck. The next body is also badly burned in the lower half of its face. Dean looks to Katherine. “You know a way to kill vamps with battery acid?”

“It's not battery acid” she answers. “It's the....dodgy blood” she kicks a body aside. “They stink like those guys from the gas store, only more....dead” she looks to Dean. “Remember what happened when I bit Dick?” she asks, he nods. “Like that, only worse”

“Hey. Check out that wall. Something seem weird to you?” Sam asks.

“Yeah, see if you can find a switch or a lever or something”

“Don't need one” Bobby walks through the wall into a pink bedroom. A young woman is sitting on the floor leaning against the bed with her back to Bobby. On the other side of the wall, Sam moves books on a bookcase. He picks up one titled “How To Serve Man.”

“Hey” Sam tells them. Sam holds up the book for Dean to see and then presses a button that was behind the book on the bookcase. Concealed doors in front of Dean spring open, revealing Bobby and the young woman, who gets to her feet. Dean, Katherine and Sam enter the room. The young woman, who is wearing a floral pink dress or nightgown and holding a teddy bear, takes a step back against the mantelpiece. Katherine narrows her eyes at the girl. “Dean. Machete” Sam tells his brother, Sam and Dean sheathe their machetes.

“Hey. Look. We're not gonna hurt you. Okay?” Dean shows his teeth. “No fangs. See?”

“We just want to talk” Sam offers.

…................

The young woman is now sitting in a chair, holding a cup of tea. Dean's jacket is around her shoulders.

“I was 8. My mom left me at the playground while she ran to the store. A man approached me and said I was the prettiest girl there. And I've been living with these... things... ever since. At least until now”

“Do you have any idea why?” Sam asks.

“I'm one of his special girls. All the others, it was their job to make sure I was ready for the Alpha, whenever he came. Wash me... give me my IV bags every day. It's my only food. So my blood's pure”

“They've been doing this for, what, 12 years?” Dean asks.

“Virgins are a delicacy” Katherine admits, the brothers slowly look to her. “What?” she asks.

“He always has at least one of us on hand” the girl answers.

“Well, don't worry, okay? We're gonna get you back to your mother”

“No, we're not” Katherine argues, Sam shoots her a look.

“Katherine” he warns.

“She's lying” Katherine counters and moves closer to the girl, Katherine crosses her arms over her chest. “There's four dead vampires but six different sets of fresh footprints, smaller set are yours....now the others I am guessing belongs to which ever vampire is currently living off of animal blood....”

“How'd you know that?” Dean asks.

“I can smell rabbit's blood” she answers. “And she....” she turns back to the girl. “I'm guessing you're the alpha's....'pet', his personal feed bag? Or one of them at least....there's another scent here, another human, male, young too....” Katherine crouches. “You're going to tell us where the alpha is”

“Or what?” the girl asks, Katherine lets her vampire face show.

“Or I'm going to rip your heart out of your chest” she threatens. “And eat it”

“Whoa, Katherine” Dean scolds slightly.


	19. Chapter Eighteen

Dean pulls Katherine aside away from the girl. Sam joins them.

“What are you doing?” Dean asks her.

“What?” she asks.

“Threatening her”

“She lied” Katherine counters. “And she knows where the alpha is”

“I know, we know, but a little sensitivity” Sam tells her, Katherine shakes her head.

“No” she argues. “You want to kill a vampire, you know how to do that, but we're not here to kill the alpha, we're here to get his help, your usual tactics are not going to work” she sighs. “You need to trust me and if you can't do that then I don't know why I am here”

“Of course we trust you” Dean argues. “And you're right....”

“Well I have a plan” Katherine offers. “If you both remain open minded and let me do this my way” Sam and Dean share a look before they both nod to Katherine. “Good” she turns and walks back to the girl.

…................

Dean stops the car at a grocery stores and Katherine climbs out, she walks away and towards a man sitting on a nearby bench, drinking from a large takeout cup through a straw. She sits at his side crossing one leg over the other, eyes scanning her environment before looking to the man.

“Hold out your arm. I need your blood” she compels him, the man holds out his arm to her and she takes his wrist. She takes a syringe out of her jacket pocket and pushes the needle into the back of the Man hand.

“Oww! That hurts” the man complains.

“No, it doesn't” she compels and he shuts up as she draws blood, when the syringe is full she slides it into her jacket and grabs another before doing the same thing again. And again when it's full she pulls it away and smirks. “Thank you, for your cooperation” she tells him, the man continues to slurp on his drink as she stands and walks back to the car and climbs in, Dean pulls away from the curb.

…....................

The car is parked outside the monastery gates. Sam and Dean sit in the front, Katherine is in the back with the girl, Emily.

“This is it” Emily tells them, someone appears to be patrolling the monastery grounds and another person is on the roof. Katherine's eyes flicker around.

“Are you sure?” Dean asks. Emily nods.

“What now?” she asks. Katherine pulls the two syringes out of her jacket.

“You two remember what to do?” she asks them handing each brother a syringe, they both nod.

“Yeah, we go this” Dean assures her taking it from her, Sam takes his. “Right?” he asks looking to Sam.

“Yeah”

“But?” Dean asks.

“Are you sure you just want us to charge in there, machetes blazing?” Sam argues looking to Katherine.

“Yeah, well, you got a better idea?” she asks, Sam shakes his head. “Be careful” she asks of them both, Dean leans over the seat to kiss her before he and Sam are climbing out of the car.

…..........

Katherine and Emily watch out the car window as Sam and Dean walking up to the front door of the monastery.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid” Dean comments a little, Sam holds up a finger. They climb the stairs and Sam pushes on the front door, which is unlatched.

“Dean”

“Maybe we're too late” As Sam steps inside, someone grabs him from just inside the door. “Sam!” Dean lunges after Sam. A vampire waiting behind the door grabs him. Back in the car Katherine smirks and turns to Emily.

“I may have left out a little detail” Katherine tells her.

“What?” Emily asks, Katherine bites her wrist and smirks before shoving it into the girls mouth.

“I'm going to need you to drink this” she holds Emily still as the girl thrashes against her, fighting her hold. “Drink” Katherine growls.

…...............

The alpha vampire, who is sitting at the head of a dining table. Sam and Dean are brought into the room by two vampires and stand at the other end of the table with the vampires behind them.

“The Winchesters. I'm intrigued” the alpha states. “What do you want?” he asks, Dean and Sam share a look right before Katherine vamp-speeds into the room with Emily, the vampire's metal hand on display and tight around her neck.

“Daddy” Emily begs looking to the alpha. Katherine exposes the girls neck and smirks.

“Nightwalker” the alpha states surprised. “Thought you were all extinct”

“Obviously not” Katherine counters.

“Hmm” the alpha watches Katherine. “And you are working with the Winchesters?” he asks.

“Yeah, she's with us” Dean answers.

“We're here to talk. That's it” Katherine tells the alpha who laughs.

“Now that my guys have taken their blades and their syringes of tainted blood. Is that what you mean?” he asks her.

“They figured you might hold a grudge” she offers.

“And why would I? Because they captured me, tortured me, sold me to the king of Hell?”

“That was more our grandpa” Dean answers, the vampire standing behind Dean grabs Dean and slams his head against the table. Dean falls to his knees and grunts as he gets back up. Katherine digs her fingers into Emily's throat and she screams, the alpha snaps his head to her.

“I will kill her” Katherine promises. “Let them go” she demands. The alpha nods and the vampires back away from Dean and Sam. “Now just listen. You need us”

“Oh, yes. I am thirsty!”

“The plague” Katherine counters. “The one killing your vampires.....We know what it is! What do you know about Leviathan?”

“A bit” The alpha admits.

“You know they're poisoning our food supply?” Katherine asks.

“Roman didn't mention that when we met for dinner last fall. We made lots of plans. We are on excellent terms, he and I” The alpha counters.

“You sure about that?” Katherine asks stepping closer with Emily.

“Oh, of course. He said grabbing a snack would be easier than ever”

“He said we'd all live together, didn't he?” Katherine asks. “You really believe him? You think your children are dying by accident? There is pesticide in the blood”

“It suits you to think so. You need me on your side”

“Then a test” she offers and nods to a syringe on the table. “If we're wrong....we'll leave, I'll give your pet back and we think nothing more of it” she offers. The alpha eyes her carefully.

“Why should I?” the alpha asks.

“Why would I lie?” she asks back. He nods to her, she looks to Dean and nods, he grabs a syringe and jams it into the closest vampire to him. “The blood came from a human that's been filled with Roman's new corn syrup formula” Katherine tells them as the vampire screams in agony as he burns from the inside. The alpha stands. “Now we can stop Dick. Stop all of it. We just... We need your blood – for the weapon”

“So now you want to prevent the extermination of the vampire race” The alpha looks to the Winchesters, they look to Katherine.

“No...” Dean admits. “Just one” Katherine looks to him, they share a look. The alpha glances to Katherine.

“And if I say no?” he asks her.

“I kill Emily” she answers. “It'll be easy” he smirks a little.

“No, you won't” he argues. “If you're with the Winchesters, then your humanity will stop you” Katherine stares at the alpha before snapping Emily's neck, Dean and Sam sharply inhale as she drops the girl to the floor.

“Really?” Katherine asks. The alpha looks down at Emily and then to Katherine. The alpha steps towards Katherine who raises an eyebrow, the door across the room opens stopping the alpha, a young boy walks towards the alpha vampire. He turns to the boy.

“Allan” he greets. “What's wrong?”

“Edgar's here” Allan tells him, Dean and Sam look at each other. The alpha touches Allan’s jacket in dismissal and Allan leaves. The alpha turns to Katherine.

“Fine” the alpha tells her. “How much?” She pulls a vial from her jacket, she holds it up before throwing it to him, he catches it and then cuts his arm with his nail, he bleeds into the vial and slides it over the table, Sam grabs it from the top and glances to Katherine.

“Now the boy” Katherine adds.

“Are you joking?” the alpha asks her.

“Do I look like I'm joking? How many other kids you got in here?” she asks nodding to the back door.

“At the moment, just him” the alpha offers, he looks to a vampire at his side. “Help Allan with his coat. He's leaving with the nightwalker and her....pets” his eyes flicker to Sam and Dean and then back to Katherine. She looks to Sam and Dean and nods for them to leave first. They share a look before collecting their weapons and they leave. “What? No "thank you"? Oh, right, right. Your flesh is crawling. All you really want to do is kill me now. You hate having to wait and come back and try again” The alpha taunts the brothers. “See you next season” he teases.

“Looking forward to it” Dean counters, a vampire walks into the room with Allan and moves to Katherine who holds out her hand to the boy who takes it, she smirks at the alpha and then vamp-speeds away, Emily's body is gone too.

…..............

“Okay, what the hell was that?!” Dean shouts at Katherine as she climbs into the car, setting Allan onto the seat between the brothers in the front and laying Emily out along the back seats, her head in Katherine's lap. “We don't kill people” he scolds. Katherine stares at him before looking down at Emily and stroking her hair. “Kat”

“Dean” Sam warns and shakes his head. “Let's just...get out of here before Edgar figures out we're here” Dean shakes his head and starts the car before pulling away.

…..........

Katherine looks out the window as the car drive, her fingers in Emily's hair as Allan sleeps against Sam's side. Dean silent seethes holding onto the wheel. Emily suddenly lurches up sucking in air, Dean swerves surprised, Sam looking to the back seat. Emily spins on Katherine.

“You killed me!” she goes to hit Katherine but the older vampire grabs her hands to stop her.

“Emily” she warns, Emily stops and looks down at herself.

“I'm not dead” she argues herself and drops back into the seat.

“Well...” Katherine draws out. “You are” she argues and looks to her.

“What have you done, Katherine?” Dean asks her, she shrugs and looks down.

“I turned her” she admits.

“You turned her?” Sam asks, Katherine nods.

“Look, I didn't tell you about the death part of my plan because you wouldn't agree, and it was plan B anyway, I thought I could persuade him....we got the blood what does it matter now anyway?”

“What does it matter?” Dean argues. “You can't just turn people”

“So you'd rather I'd just killed her?” Katherine asks.

“No” Dean snaps turning to her. “We'd rather you not kill at all”

“I'm sorry, have you suddenly forgotten who and what I am?” she asks him.

“No, of course not...” Sam answers. “That's not what's...” Sam stops and looks to the two women in the back. “You should have told us”

“You would have tried to convince me otherwise” she argues. “You said you trusted me...this is what needed to be done to get what we wanted....sometimes sacrificing your queen is how you win the game”

“This is life, Kat, not chess” Dean argues. “You gambled with a girls life, you took it away from her”

“Took away her life?” Katherine asks. “I gave her immortality” she argues. “She'll be ageless, fearless, powerful....”

“I'm hungry” Emily complains.

“And hungry” Katherine agrees glancing to Emily. “And she needs to complete the transition” Katherine adds turning away.

“What does that mean?” Dean asks.

“She has to feed, or she will die dead” Katherine answers, Dean and Sam look to her. “You know what I meant” she argues. “Drop me at the nearest hospital and I'll hit the blood banks” she asks of Dean who sighs and shakes his head.

…...................

Sam carries Allan as he, Dean and Emily walk down the hallway to their motel room. Dean is silent as he opens the motel room door and leads them in.

“Are you mad at her?” Emily asks Dean who sighs and looks to her.

“Are you?” Dean counters, Emily shrugs.

“I don't know” she admits. “I always assumed that's where it was heading with the alpha.....” she states and then looks out the window. “Feels crappier then I thought, got this raging headache, my gums and teeth hurt and it's way too bright in here, but I no longer feel....loyal to the alpha, can't feel his influence over me......like I've been.....freed” she admits. “No...I'm not mad” she finally admits. Dean watches as she gets on the bed with Allan and turns on the tv.

….........................

Later Katherine walks into the room and throws a blood bag to Emily who catches it.

“Drink it” Katherine tells her and then moves to Allan, she picks him up off the bed. “I'll be back, I've found someone to take him back to his parents” she ignores Sam and Dean's stares and just leaves again. Dean sighs a little, Emily pulls off the top of the blood bag and starts to drink without hesitation. She then screams and reaches up to clutch at her mouth. Dean and Sam move to her.

“What is it?” Dean asks, Emily lowers her hands and her fangs drop from her gums. “Fangs” Dean answers himself and pulls back. Emily stretches her lips a little and then goes back to drinking the blood. “This is crazy” Dean comments turning away. Katherine returns without Allan and pauses when Dean looks to her. She looks away and turns nervous, all traces of the confident, sure woman that faced the alpha is gone.

“Urm” she starts quietly and then sniffs, she frowns a little.

“What?” Sam asks.

“Was anything out of place?” she asks and moves to the safe in the wardrobe, she turns to the brothers, Dean sighs.

“He's gone isn't he?” Dean asks Katherine, she nods.

“The flask's gone, yes” she answers, Sam moves to his duffel bag and grabs his EMF, he switches it one.

“I'm getting trace bits of EMF, but it's fading fast. And Bobby's probably been gone three or four hours. He's got the flask. How the hell are we supposed to track him? Look, I hate to say this...” Sam starts.

“Well, then don't. He's gone” Dean laughs briefly and sighs. “How could he do this... now? I mean, we've got half the freakin' weapon, we're almost there”

“It's not him. I mean, he's not thinking”

“So, what, we just keep going while he's out there like this?”

“Do we have any other option? I mean, it's what he'd want us to do. Right?” Sam asks.

“Yeah. Yeah, him and Frank and Cas, if his marbles were in the bag. It's a good thing we got Crowley in our corner. Right? Seeing as how it all comes down to him. What could possibly go wrong?” Dean asks and then turns to Emily. “What about you?” he asks.

“I've already contacted an old Hydra contact” Katherine admits. “He's like me....he'll take her” Katherine turns to Emily. “He'll teach you how to do it without the body count, 'kay?” Emily nods. “He's also got a witch friend that's gonna set you up with a daylight amulet so you're not stuck inside all the time” Emily stands and hugs Katherine, Katherine looks down a little.

“Thank you” Emily tells her. Dean glances to them.

…................

Katherine walks towards Dean leaning against the car, she sighs.

“I get it, it's fine I'm a monster, except when I am being a monster” she tells him. He grabs her jacket and pulls her closer to kiss her.

“I'm not mad” he whispers against her lips. “I was, yes, but....talking to Emily” he pulls back a little. “If she'd stayed human, the alpha would have....” she nods.

“He would have tracked her again, using their bond” she finished. “I broke the link” he brushes her hair back.

“Get in the car” he tells her warmly, she smiles at him before kissing him softly and then climbing in. Sam glances to her from the passenger side and gives her a small smile.

................

Katherine sits next to Dean as he drives, Sam on her other side. The night before was a little tense given what happened with Emily and the alpha but it seemed to pass slightly as the sun rose. Dean's hand squeezes Katherine's thigh as she shifts slightly, he unfortunately is touching her mechanical leg and she can't feel it but still....

“All right. Exit's in 3 miles” Sam tells them.

“I still say this is a bad idea” Katherine argues.

“Kat, it was your idea, and it was the best one any of us had” Sam tells her.

“I said it as a joke” she counters looking at Sam.

“It was a bad joke – good idea” he touches her shoulder.

“Yeah, only because we got no magic spell, no book – nothing on how to find a righteous bone” she tells them.

“We can call Castiel again”

“Dude, on my car, he showed up naked... covered in bees” Dean argues.

“Yeah, I'm not really sorry we missed that” Sam teases sharing a look with Katherine who smirks. Dean turns on the radio.

“...The price of stock hit an all-time high following Roman's acquisition of Sucrocorp. I say Roman's a buy”

“Got to disagree with you there. I'm gonna call him a "wait and watch”

“Come on, Lawshe. You're killing me”

“Hear me out. This is a new sector for Roman”

“That's right. He's holed up at Sucrocorp headquarters right now”

“So sit tight. This...” Katherine switches off the radio.

“Holed up at Sucrocorp, huh?” she asks, Dean and Sam look at each other and then to Katherine who smirks.

…..................

In a nunnery crypt, Sam, Dean and Katherine walk through, Sam reading from a large book.

“Well, I guess if we can't find a righteous bone in a friggin' nunnery crypt” Dean mumbles.

“All right. Here – listen to this. Sister Mary Benedict, uh, taught the learning-impaired and died at age 23” Sam reads.

“Eh, it's a little young. Find someone who's had time to cook” Dean corrects,

“Okay, well, there was, uh... here – Sister Mary Eunice. Uh, fed the poor, became Mother Superior at age 60”

“Sounds political. Power corrupts” Katherine argues.

“Right. Um... listen to this – Sister Mary Constant, 83 years of quiet, humble nun-like goodness. What do you think?”

“Wow. I want to be more righteous just reading this” Dean teases.

“Exactly”

“All right, well, I lay odds on her. Here we go” Dean walks over to a plaque bearing the name of Sister Mary Constant. “Well... let's bone this nun” Katherine shoots Dean a look. “Sorry” he offers and then smashes the coffin with a mallet.

…......................

Back at the cabin, Dean tosses a lit match into a bowl. Flames rise and then die down. Dean and Sam look around as Katherine leans against the wall.

“Is he trying to make a grand entrance or...?” Dean asks .

“I don't know...” Sam answers.

“Son of a bitch. He's standing us up”

“Well, we summoned him. Doesn't he kind of have to...” Katherine starts.

“If Crowley wants to screw you, he'll screw you” Dean corrects.

“Or... he can't come 'cause something went wrong” she offers, Dean and Sam share a look.

“Maybe” Dean agrees a little. There is a knock at the door. Sam takes out his gun. “Maybe it's good news” Sam looks through a hole in the door, then opens the door to let in Meg.

“You deal with him. I can't any more” Meg tells them.

“You might want to be more specific” Dean counters.

“I was laying low halfway across the world when emo boy pops up out of nowhere and zaps me right back here”

“Why?” Dean asks.

“Go ask him. He was your boyfriend first” Meg argues.

…............

Dean walks over to a vehicle parked in front of the cabin. Castiel is sitting in the driver’s seat. Dean leans in the open passenger window.

“Hey, there” Dean greets. Castiel raises a hand in greeting. Dean straightens up, closes his eyes, shakes his head and sighs before leaning in the passenger window again. “So, Cas, what's, uh, what's, uh, what’s the word?”

“Well, Dean, I've been thinking. Monkeys are so... clever, and they're sensible in that they leave the skins on the bananas that they eat. Is it really necessary to test cosmetics on them? I mean, how important is lipstick to you, Dean?” Castiel asks.

“Not very. You want to come inside and, uh, tell us what's going on?”

…..............

Back inside Katherine pours herself a glass of whiskey, Castiel stands behind her facing Sam and Dean.

“Now, you understand I don't participate in aggressive activity” Castiel tells them and picks up a bone to sniff it. “Mm. Sister Mary Constant. Good choice”

“Why'd you go to Meg, Cas?”

“When I left, I wanted to observe the flowers – and fruit. Flowers come first, obviously. But I heard nothing from them”

“You heard nothing from who?” Sam asks.

“The Garrison”

“What happened to the Garrison?”

“Well, finally, the silence was deafening, so I went to look... to the home of the Prophet. You know, Leviathan can kill angels. There's a reason why Father locked them in Purgatory. They're the Piranha that would eat the whole aquarium. They're gone. The entire Garrison – dead. If there's anyone left at all, they're in hiding”

“Um, I'm sorry. If the angels are dead, where's Kevin?” Katherine asks moving towards Sam and Dean.

“I could steal them from their cages, the monkeys. But where would I put them all?” Castiel asks, Katherine blinks and frowns.

“What did I ask?” she asks looking to Dean.

“Hey” Dean claps his hands to get Castiel's attention. “Focus. Is Kevin alive?”

“I don't want to fight”

“No, I'm not.......we're worried”

“They took him. He's alive. I felt such responsibility, but it's in your hands now” Castiel tells them.

“Wait. Hold on a freakin' minute” Dean argues.

“I feel much better”

“Guys, what's all that?” Meg asks pointing at the paraphernalia they used to call Crowley.

“We called Crowley” Katherine answers.

“You what?” Meg counter asks.

“Don't worry. He never showed” Dean assures her.

“What do you mean never...”

“Do you see him anywhere? He stood us up” Dean answers.

“Well, I'm sorry about that, but I'm outie. He could still sh...”

“Show up at any time” Crowley suddenly arrives. “Hello, boys” Crowley looks over Katherine. “Kitty-kat” she growls baring her fangs. “Sorry I'm late. This is an embarrassment of riches” Crowley looks to Meg. “Stay, won't you. There's really nowhere to run” Meg runs for the door, but Crowley appears in front of her, blocking her exit. “Don't even think of smoking out, pussycat. I've got eyes all over the place”

“Leave her be” Castiel threatens.

“Castiel. When last we spoke, you – well, enslaved me. I'm confused. Why aren't you dead?”

“I... don't know”

“Well, do you want to be? 'Cause I can help with that”

“All right, enough” Dean warns.

“It's enough when I say. I came here to help you. I find out you've been lying to me, harboring an angel, and not just any angel – the one angel I most want to crush between my teeth”

“Oh, so you can crush angels now, huh?” Meg asks.

“You bore me. You know that? You have no sense of poetry” Crowley argues and looks to Castiel. “Now, what do you have to say for yourself?”

“Well, I'm still, uh, honing my communication strategy. I haven't even been back to Heaven. I-I keep thinking there are no insects up there, but here we have...” Dean exchanges a look with Crowley. “Trillions. You know, they're making honey and silk and... miracles, really”

“What are you talking about?” Crowley asks.

“Um, preferring insects to angels, I guess. Here. I can offer a token, if you like” Castiel holds up a plastic bag containing a yellow substance. “It's honey. I-I collected it myself” Crowley and Dean exchange another look.

“You're off your rocker. He's off his rocker – is that it? Karma's a bitch, isn't it?” Crowley helps himself to Katherine's glass of whiskey from her hand, she shoots him a look.

“Look, did you come here to, uh, donkey-punch your old grudges or to help us end Dick? Pick a battle” Dean asks.

“Well, I'm vexed. I'd like to do both. But where's the fun in clobbering a ball of wet fur? Text me when Sparkles here retrieves his marbles, I suppose. Meanwhile...” Crowley takes a vial of blood out of his jacket pocket. “A prezzie” Crowley holds it out to Katherine who takes it.

“Really? Just like that?” She asks.

“I'm a model of efficiency” Crowley looks over her, eyes lingering.

“Is that right? Then why were you late?” She asks.

“Dick had me in a devil trap. He's not an idiot. He knows what you kiddos are after”

“So what did he offer you?” Sam asks.

“A fair deal. In exchange for giving you the wrong blood. It's demon, but is it mine?” There is an awkward pause. “It's my blood. Real deal” Katherine looks to Dean who nods, she grabs Crowley's wrist and pulls him close, slicing his skin with her nail before inhaling, she releases him and pulls the topped from the vial, she sniffs, Crowley raises an eyebrow at her as she replaces the topper.

“It's his” she tells them.

“Oh, bonus. Meg, I'm gonna scoop you up, take you home, and roast you till you're jerky” Castiel starts to move towards Crowley. “But not... yet. Cas can have you for now. Hilariously, it seems he'd be upset at losing you. And the boys need Cas to get Dick. Don't they, Cas?”

“Oh, I – I don't fight any more”

“Come on. Given the particulars of your enemy, sadly, you're vital” Crowley tells Castiel.

…..................

Dean is holding the notebook in which Kevin translated The Word of God, Katherine sits between his legs feeding from his wrist.

“Well, one thing's for sure – we only get one shot” Dean comments, Sam is holding the vial of blood that Crowley gave them above a table holding a bowl of blood, other containers of blood and candles. “This thing don't reload” Dean nuzzles into Katherine's neck to hide a moan, he will not admit that letting her feed from him is one of the most sexual things that he has done that has not been actual sex.

“You think Crowley's, uh...”

“Double-crossing us?” Dean mumbles into Katherine's neck.

“Yeah”

“You've got to figure who he wants dead more – us or Dick” Dean comments.

“Depends what Dick offered. Here we go” Sam pours the blood from the vial into the bowl. “Okay. Um…” Sam picks up the bowl. “So do we, uh...” Dean leans back as Katherine pulls her fangs back.

“Uh, there's no magic words – nothing. We just... just go” Dean offers.

“All right, then” Sam pours the blood from the bowl onto the Sister Mary Constant’s bone, which is in another bowl. He and Dean wait, but nothing happens.

“Where's all the thunder and lightning?” Katherine asks.

“Uh... maybe it worked?” Sam asks.

“Awesome” Dean comments. There is the sound of angel wings and a hand appears on Dean’s shoulder. The hand belongs to Castiel, who is holding plates of sandwiches.

“So, none of this should cause you any ill effect. I went to a little farm in Normandy for the wheat and the lettuce and tomato and – and I thoroughly examined and comforted the pig before I... slaughtered it for the ham. Here” He holds a plate out to Dean. “You need to replenish your strength after Katherine fed from you” Dean takes the plate.

“Thanks, Cas” Castiel holds the other plate out to Sam, but Sam doesn’t take it.

“And Cas, why was Crowley so certain that you need to come with us?” Sam asks.

“Crowley's wrong. I'll be waiting right here. But please – accept this sandwich as a gesture of solidarity” Castiel tells Sam.

…..................


	20. Chapter Nineteen

Katherine pulls on a fresh shirt as Dean walks into the room behind her. He looks worried, about her, about him, about them, about this and the future and.....well everything. She flicks her hair up from under her shirt and ties it up into a ponytail. He's come to see it as her hunt/mission hair.

“Kat” he starts.

“I'll be fine” she assures him and looks over her shoulder at him. “You are the mortal” she argues. “I...” she pauses and turns away.

“You...?” he pushes.

“Hydra took away a lot of who I used to be.....in fact, they took away everything I used to be” she fidgets with her sleeve. “And who I could have become” Dean moves towards her. “I spent 5 years alone and I...” she closes her eyes and sighs.

“You're not really about to do a....'we're about to die' speech, are you, Kat?” he asks her as he sits on her bed.

“No” she answers and turns to him. “I was trying to thank you” he looks up at her. “What I am....what I have done....I don't deserve anything, I don't deserve you.....” she looks down. “I...so many times over those 5 years I would have been happy to die...but you made me want to live again....and I don't know why” he stands and moves closer to her.

“It's simple really” he starts. “Because” he stars brushing the tears from her cheek, he smiles. “Well because I love you” her eyes snap up to him. “Don't go telling people I got this mushy, okay?” he teases a little. “But...I mean, yeah, I love you” he lifts her chin and smirks. “How can I not?” he whispers, she sniffles and smiles a little.

“Why?” she asks quietly, he shrugs and kisses her.

“You're smart” he whispers against her lips. “Strong” he adds kissing her again. “Sexy” he pushes her back towards the wall, she smirks against his lips. “And you have this smile” he pulls back from her and slides his hands under her shirt. “This....way about you” he whispers. “And I couldn't help it” He pushes her up against the wall pulling her legs around his waist, his lips on her neck, she moans and throws her head back.

…....................

A car pulls up outside the Sucrocorp building. Dean and Sam sit in the front and Katherine is in the back typing on a laptop.

“You got it yet?” Dean asks her.

“Yep, here” she leans over the seats and sets the laptop on the dash, it shows footage from the board room, where a meeting is still in progress.

“Got you, Dick” Dean states.

“Yeah, that's, uh, the second floor” she tells them and then clicks a button, thee laptop screen changes to footage of Dick Roman alone at his desk, “And – and then – what's that?” she asks.

“What the hell? Is that Dick?” Sam asks her. The laptop screen now shows footage of Dick Roman walking along a hallway.

“And that's Dick” Dean adds. “Son of a bitch” Dean complains. “Cycle through again” Dean tells Katherine who starts flicking through the surveillance again. A pick-up pulls up across the street. Sam looks at it through binoculars. The maid possessed by Bobby gets out.

“That's the maid from the motel” Sam tells them.

“What motel?” Dean asks. Sam watches through binoculars as the maid heads for the Sucrocorp building.

“Oh, no. Oh, Bobby, what are you doing?”

“Wait. Are you saying that Bobby...”

“Look, just, uh, wait here”

“Are you out of your mind?” Dean hisses at Sam.

“You got the weapon, and – and eyes on Dick, plural. I'll take care of Bobby” Sam gets out of the car.

“Sam! Hey!” Dean argues.

“Shut up” Sam runs after the maid.

….........

The maid walks around the back of the building. Sam appears in front of her.

“Bobby? I know you're in there. Listen to me. There are cameras everywhere” Sam points to a security camera. “There's one right there. Stop, okay? You're gonna get her killed” The maid pushes Sam and he falls backwards onto the ground. We see the security footage of the parking area behind the building in black and white. “Bobby! Damn it!” Sam scrambles to his feet. “How are you gonna kill Dick, huh? You can't!” The maid takes out a large knife.

“Good enough for me” The maid slashes at Sam with the knife. He glances up at the moving security camera, grabs the maid and ducks behind a parked vehicle.

“No! I'm not letting you go”

“Get out of here, Sam”

“No” The maid slams Sam against the vehicle and grips him by the throat. Sam chokes and the maid's face contorts with the effort of strangling him. “Bobby, stop. Stop” Bobby sees his reflection in the vehicle’s window.

“No!” The maid lets Sam go. Bobby leaves her body and disappears. The maid falls to the ground. Sam gasps for a moment, then picks her up.

…....................

Dean is sitting with his hands clasped, looking at the flask. Sam is on the phone. Katherine hands Dean a glass of whiskey and he takes it from her as she sits at his side.

“Okay, thanks” Sam hangs up. Meg is drinking a beer. “She's fine. Checking out of the hospital tonight”

“Well, that's positive” Castiel states as he holds out a plate containing a sandwich to Sam.

“Tell me again why you turned tail for some maid” Meg argues. Castiel puts a sandwich in front of Dean. “You were right there”

“Shut up, Meg”

“Because Dick made more Dicks” Katherine tells them, Castiel and Dean look at her. “He must've kept a chunk of the original Dick Roman somewhere. Uh, they'd all have to touch it” Castiel is drying dishes.

“Hey, shifty, what's your problem?” Dean asks Castiel.

“Do we need a cat? Doesn't this place feel one species short?” Castiel asks avoiding the question.

“You got anything to say on the topic of Dicks? Crowley was pretty sure that you could help” Dean adds.

“I can't help. You understand? I can't. I destroyed... everything, and I will destroy everything again. Can we please just leave it at that?”

“No” Dean gets up. “No, we can't”

“Dean” Katherine warns slightly.

“We can't leave it. You let these friggin' things in. So you don't get to make a sandwich. You don't get a damned cat. Nobody cares that you're broken, Cas. Clean up your mess!” Castiel puts down the dish he is holding and walks over to Dean.

“You know... we should play Twister” Sam and Dean look at each other. Castiel disappears.

“Nice. You scared off the Empire's only hope” Meg scolds Dean.

“Meaning?”

“It occur to you every one of those things was in Cas? He knows them. He can see past the meat suits”

“So, he'll be able to spot the real... fake Dick Roman” Sam offers.

“Gold star, sugarpants. Too bad he's Fruit Loops. You might've had a chance” Dean hears a noise behind him and turns. Castiel is playing Twister on the floor.

….................

Katherine is looking at footage from the Sucrocorp office on the laptop hoping her Hydra mind might catch something, it doesn't.

“There's no real point in looking for a tell. They all downloaded Dick's brain. They've all got the same tells” Dean tells her sitting at her side, she shrugs a little as he brushes her hair back over her shoulder.

“Just thought all that training might help me pick up something” she mumbles, he rubs her shoulder.

“All right, then maybe the question is, what would the real Dick be doing?” Sam asks them, Bobby appears.

“Is that the best you can do? Idjits” Bobby asks them.

“Bobby. We didn't know if you’d, uh...” Sam offers.

“Well, you should've. You got the flask. Dumb. You should've burned it right off”

“Bobby” Dean starts.

“I'm still jonesing to go back... grab some poor bastard, kamikaze 'em going after Dick. It's bad” The laptop plays a news interview with Dick Roman.

“America is for go-getters. Folks who get off their butts and make it happen” Katherine closes the laptop.

“Let's be real” Bobby starts and then looks to Sam. “I damn near killed you. And that woman”

“It wasn't your fault, Bobby – not really” Sam tells him.

“Right. That's just what ghosts turn into. I really bet the farm I could outsmart that”

“So, what's it feel like?” Dean asks.

“What? Going vengeful? It's an itch you can't scratch out. Look... I'm done. Go get Dick. But don't do it 'cause you think it'll scratch the itch. Do it 'cause it's the job. And when it's your time... go” Sam and Dean look sadly at Bobby. Katherine looks down.

….................

Sam and Dean stand in front of a load of burning coals, Sam and Dean share a long look with Bobby stood on the other side.

“Here's to... running into you guys on the other side. Only... not too soon. All right?” Bobby asks them and then turns to Katherine who stands away from them, she waves slightly at him. “Look after them” he whispers loud enough only for her to hear, she nods back at him, he turns back to the coals and then nods. Dean tosses the flask (minus its leather cover) onto the coals. It slowly melts. Bobby burns up. The flask continues to melt and the light goes out. Dean and Sam look sadly at each other. Castiel watches from the stairs.

…......................

Later Castiel is playing Uno at the table. Dean walks over to him.

“Cas, I need a wingman” Dean tells him.

“Dean....”

“You don't want to jump into the jaws of death, that's... fine. How about we run a little errand?” Dean asks him.

…..............

Inside a barn there is a boat and a vehicle is covered with a tarp. There is the sound of angel wings and then Dean and Castiel are standing near the covered vehicle.

“Thanks for the lift” Dean tells him.

“My pleasure” Dean starts towards the vehicle. “Dean...” Dean turns back to Castiel.

“Cas, we've been over it. I get it – you can't help”

“If we attack Dick and fail, then you and Sam and Katherine die heroically, correct?”

“I don't know. I guess”

“And at best, I die trying to fix my own stupid mistake. Or... I don't die – I'm brought back again. I see now. It's a punishment resurrection. It's worse every time”

“I'm sorry. Uh, we're talking about God crap, right?”

“I'm not good luck, Dean”

“Yeah, but you know what? Bottom of the ninth, and you're the only guy left on the bench... Sorry, but I'd rather have you, cursed or not. And anyway, nut up, all right? We're all cursed. I seem like good luck to you?” Castiel stares at Dean. “What?” Dean asks.

“Well, I don't want to make you uncomfortable, but I detect a note of forgiveness”

“Yeah, well, I'm probably gonna die tomorrow...” he stops and clenches his jaw. “So...” he adds.

“Well, I'll go with you. And I'll do my best” Castiel agrees. Dean smiles slightly and nods. “And for what it's worth....I like Katherine” Castiel tells Dean. “I told Sam too...she's like me” Dean looks to him. “She did things because she believed them to be right, she did things believing she was doing the right thing, because Hydra told her they were the right thing, that she was making a better world.....but now she knows they weren't, she knows what she did...” Castiel looks down. “She's trying....so I will too” Dean nods a little.

“Thanks”

“So... can I ask the plan?”

“Well, according to Crowley, Dick knows we're coming, so Kat thinks....” Dean turns to Castiel. “We're gonna announce ourselves – big”

….............

Dean holds Katherine's wrist as he sets the impala keys in her palm, they share a look. He smiles a little and nods giving her a wink. She curls her fingers around the keys and watches him sadly.

“Don't” he warns her. “It's all going to be okay” he promises her. “We can do this” she nods. He kisses her softly and pulls away, Katherine looks to Meg who smirks and winks at her.

“Shall we?” Meg asks her.

…...............

The impala skids slightly after turning a corner. The impala skids again rounding the corner towards security boom gates. The impala crashes through the security boom gates and skids again. The impala heads directly for Sucrocorp’s main sign and then crashes through the sign, coming to a stop in a shower of breaking glass. Three leviathans with guns come out of the Sucrocorp building. Katherine gets out of the driver’s seat of the impala as Meg climbs out the passenger side. The leviathans shoot at the impala, breaking the driver’s side window, and at Katherine and Meg, both women carry a bottle of Power Clean and a long knife.

….................

Sam waits at a door marked 'Exit'.

…................

Katherine grunts as bullets hit her in the chest, she then looks up and growls, her vampire face on show. Meg smirks at her side. Meg then throws Power Clean onto the face of one of the leviathans. He screams in pain.

….........

Dean and Castiel look around a corner in the building and then walk down a hallway.

…........

Two leviathans are lying decapitated on the ground. Katherine is splattered with black goo. Meg watches as a third leviathan’s face burns, then cuts off his head.

“Later, ho nuggets” Meg looks to Katherine and nods, Katherine nods back and then vamp-speeds away.

…..............

Sam looks to Katherine as she joins him, she's already covered in black goo, they share a look and then enter the building. She grabs his arm and Sam closes his eyes, she vamp-speeds away with him.

…................

Dean looks around a corner at Dick Roman sitting at the head of the board room table. He motions for Castiel, who is behind him, to look. Castiel does so and shakes his head.

…...............

Meg is walking outside the building. Two demons appear behind her. One of the demons flings out an arm and Meg flies backwards and slides along the ground. She sits up.

“The King of Hell will see you now”

…..................

Katherine bursts open a closed office door, Sam right behind her. Kevin is bound to a chair and gagged, his eyes widen, Katherine is at his side in a flash and starts to untie him.

“Kevin. Hey, buddy. We got to hustle, okay?” Sam tells Kevin reaching him, Katherine gets him free and Kevin removes the tape over his mouth.

“Wait. We can't leave yet” Kevin tells them.

“Uh, yeah, we can. It's okay. We got to go” Katherine argues.

“You don't understand. Dick's got creamer in his lab. He's gonna kill all the skinny people” Kevin tells them, Sam and Katherine share a look,

“Wait. What? Slow down” Sam asks.

“We have to blow up the lab, please” Kevin begs. Sam looks around in indecision.

“Yeah, fine. Let's go” Katherine tells him.

…............

Dick Roman holding up a creamer in the lab.

“You know, I think this might end up the slickest little genocide in history” He comments, a leviathan next to him is packing creamers into a box.

“Thank you, sir”

“Just sayin'. I smell promotion” Dick Roman takes a few steps across the room and drinks the creamer. There is a noise behind him and he turns. The leviathan is lying decapitated on the floor. Dean and Castiel stand over him, Castiel carrying a bottle of Power Clean and Dean a machete. “Little abrupt... but okay” Dean sheathes the machete. “Castiel. Good to see you again. Thanks for the ride into paradise” Dean takes out a bloodstained bone that is sharpened to a point at one end. “And good on you! Pulling that together – A-plus”

“Oh, you don't think this'll work, do you? You trust that demon?”

“You sure I'm even me, Dean?”

“No. But he is” Dean motions to Castiel, Dick Roman looks at Castiel. “See, here's the thing when dealing with Crowley – he will always find a way to bone you”

“This meeting's over” Castiel moves towards Dick Roman, but Dick Roman grabs him and flings him into a wall. Dean plunges the bone into Dick Roman’s chest. Dick Roman gasps, but then pulls the bone out and snaps it in two. “Did you really think you could trump me?”

“Honestly?” Dean takes another bone out of his jacket. “No” Castiel pulls Dick Roman’s head back. Dean plunges the bone sideways through Dick Roman’s neck. Dick Roman yells. Sam, Katherine and Kevin run into the room. Dick Roman continues to yell and gurgle. “Figured we'd have to catch you off guard” Dick Roman’s face transforms into the Leviathan enormous mouth with long pointed teeth and a protruding tongue. He roars briefly before his face returns to normal. He grunts and black goo starts to run from his nose. Waves of energy begin to pulsate from his body in time with a loud, accelerating heartbeat. The energy then appears to concentrate back in his body. Sam flings up an arm to cover his face, Katherine pulls Kevin to her chest and turns her back on the scene shielding him, as Dick Roman explodes into black goo. Sam straightens up and looks around the room, which is splattered with black goo. Katherine releases Kevin and turns too.

“We should go” Kevin tells them.

“What the hell?” Sam asks.

“More chompers any second” Kevin adds. Crowley appears behind them.

“Not to worry. I have a small army of demons outside. Cut off the head, and the body will flounder, after all. Think if you'd had just one king since before the first sunrise. You'd be in a kerfuffle, too”

“Which is exactly what you wanted” Sam comments, Katherine is still staring at the room.

“So did you. Without a master plan, the Levis are just another monster. Hard to stomp, sure, but you love a challenge. Your job is to keep them from organizing”

“Where's Dean?” Katherine asks.

“That bone... has a bit of a kick. God weapons often do. They should put a warning on the box”

“Where are they, Crowley?!” Sam snaps.

“Can't help you, Sam” Crowley snaps his fingers and the two demons who accosted Meg appear on either side of Kevin. “Sorry, Sam. Prophet's mine” Crowley snaps his fingers and Kevin and the demons disappear. “You got what you wanted – Dick's dead, saved the world. So I want one little prophet. Sorry, moose. Wish I could help” Crowley looks to Katherine. “You certainly got a lot on your plate right now, Kitty-Kat” he tells her. “It looks like you are well and truly... on your own” he offers, her jaw works, grinding her teeth together. “You ever feels the urge to....kill....find me” Crowley snaps his fingers and disappears. Sam looks around the empty room and then to Katherine.

“Come on” Sam takes her arm trying to pull her out the room. She shakes him off of her and shakes her head. “This place is going to blow, remember?” he grabs her arm again.

“Then let it” she whispers. “He's gone” she looks to Sam, her lip trembling, her eyes red and she's already crying. “He promised” Sam nods and struggles not to cry too.

“I know” he whispers. “But we have to go, now...” she wipes at her face and takes a breath before nodding. She takes his arm and then vamp-speeds them both outside to the impala. She hands Sam the keys but he shakes his head.

“Yes” she argues. “I can't” she whispers and climbs in the passenger-side not letting him argue with her.

.........

Katherine lays on her bed, curled up, her eyes just blank and staring at the wall in front of her, how could he do this to her? How could he leave her? How could he break a promise? He promised everything would be fine, that everything would be okay, this is not okay. None of this is okay. She curls into herself tighter and squeezes her eyes shut.

“Kat” Sam knocks on the bedroom door, she doesn't react to him. “Have you fed today?” he asks, but gets no answer. He sighs and sets the blood bag by the door, the one from yesterday still sat there. He takes the old one and walks away to empty it into the sink. It's been three days and she's yet to leave that room, gone so far as she block it, stopping Sam from going in, she hasn't fed either, he knows because he's been leaving blood bags in front of the door for her. Sam sighs and looks to the door. It's over, Dick is dead, the leviathan threat is over, and they had a plan. They made a plan. A plan to reunite Katherine with her family, Sam can at least make that happen for her, for Dean, maybe that will cheer her up. Sam opens his laptop and starts to research the crap out of this.

…...........

It's two days before he comes up with a plan, between drinking, crying and passing out he thinks he has a pretty solid plan. Unfortunately it means Katherine now has to leave her room, he knows she's gonna be weak as she hasn't touched blood in five days. But it also means she's gonna be starving and possible might actually attack him, so he has a plan for that too.......which he likes even less. Sam grabs something from his duffel and then leaves the cabin, moving around the building till he reaches Katherine's window.

“Sorry” Sam whispers before pulling the pin and throwing a vervain grenade into the bedroom window, it explodes and Katherine starts screaming. And yeah, Sam feels bad, he feels like a complete jackass for it, but if this is the only way he can get her out of the damn cabin, then he has to do this, he climbs through the window and looks to Katherine, her skin burning and her eyes wide, she looks to him betrayed and hurt. “This is for your own good” he tells her, voice breaking a little, he waits until she passes out before he lifts her up. He flings her over his shoulder and grabs her backpack before leaving the room.

….............

Katherine wakes with a start in the passenger-side of the impala, she whimpers and closes her eyes reaching for her arm.

“Don't” Sam warns as she touches the iv he set up. “You wouldn't feed, so I had to improvise” she turns her head and looks to the bag attached to the iv, a blood bag.

“You vervained me” she accuses. “You...”

“Yeah, I did” he agrees and scratches at his face. In five days he's almost grown a beard, she barely recognises him.

“Sam” she whispers.

“I know” he agrees. “I know” he repeats and swallows the lump in his throat. She rests her head back.

“I lost everyone” she whispers sadly.

“You got me” he assures her, she looks to him sadly. “Okay? You still got me” she nods and then starts to cry.

“Where are we going?” she asks looking out the window.

“To find Bucky” he answers, she snaps her head to him. “We're gonna find Bucky” he adds, she stares at him before closing her eyes to sleep.

…................

It takes them two days of driving to reach upstate New York, Katherine refuses to drive the impala which is why it takes them so long, she is also reluctant to feed when Sam reminds her to. She feels sick all the time and she hates it, she just wants to crawl into a hole and die, in fact, she would very very much like to do that. But it seems Sam is very very much against her doing that.

“Alright, this is the place” Sam tells Katherine as they drive towards the huge facility in front of them, a great big 3d metal A on the side.

“I have a bad feeling” she whispers pulling her jacket closer to her body. Sam hums in agreement.

“Just....” he sighs a little and turns to her. “If this goes sideways, I don't know what I'll be able to do to get us out of it” he admits. “This is the Avengers, what's left of them....this is enhanced soldiers and Gods...and aliens.....I can't fake FBI our way out of here” she nods a little.

“Why are you helping me?” she asks him. “I'm just the tag along monster...”

“I promised Dean I would help you” Sam tells her. “We both agreed that after the Leviathans we were going to help you get back to Bucky and Steve.........so I am helping you now” he touches her human arm. She sniffles a little. The last few days she's been more emotional then she can remember.

“I don't know why” she whispers brushing away the tears. Sam parks the impala and cuts the engine.

“It's okay” Sam assures her. “I do....and you'll understand one day” he whispers warmly and pulls her closer. “I miss him too” he admits, she nods.

“I know....I'm sorry, I know he's your brother....” she rambles a little. He gives her a soft sad smile and nods. “I'm not very good at this” she whispers, he rubs her arm and then sighs.

“Shall we?” he asks her, she nods and they both climb out of the car.

…..............

Sam walks into the building with Katherine, the vampire lingering behind him then at his side, he knows it's her paranoia and her senses, she's alert because this is a brand new place. Sam heads to the receptionist desk in the centre of the open space as Katherine's eyes track everything.

“I urm..” Sam tells the receptionist. “I'm not sure how this works, but....is there someone we can talk to about Bucky Barnes”

“Do you have information regarding his current whereabouts?” she asks him back, Sam glances to Katherine sort of hiding behind him, eyes scanning over everything and anything, this place to her, smells too clean and too dirty at the same time, too many people, too many scents, but laced with an overly powerful clean smell.

“Not exactly” Sam answers the receptionist turning back to her. “I would like to return...his sister to him” Sam tells her, the receptionist stares at him and then looks to Katherine who looks back at her.

“His sister?” she asks. “You are aware that Sergeant Barnes is from the 40's?” she asks him, Sam nods.

“So is she” Sam offers. “So....who do we talk to about contacting Barnes?” Sam asks reaching for Katherine's hand. The receptionist grabs the phone from her desk and dials.

“I have to ask if you are carrying any concealed weapons” the receptionist tells Sam who frowns, the receptionist's eyes flicker to Katherine.

“That's....” he sighs. “Yes” he admits. “I am....she might be” he looks to Katherine. Leaving out that she is actually a weapon herself.

“We have a Code Black” the receptionist states over the phone, her eyes on Sam and Katherine.

“Sam” Katherine whispers, he looks to her. The building then starts to lock down, the door behind them locking, shutters falling down the glass, they both around them, panic setting in. Sam turns to the receptionist.

“This is not necessary” Sam tells the receptionist. “We're just here to talk” the receptionist backs up, Sam turns to Katherine who is turning defensive as heavily armed men approach at a march, Sam grabs her arm. “Listen to me” he starts. “Don't....just...do what they ask” she looks to him. “We're not here to fight” she nods a little and relaxes her stance. The men close in.

“On the ground” one of them snaps moving ahead of the others. “Get down” Katherine looks to Sam who nods, Katherine lowers to her knees as Sam does, her eyes flickering, checking, her assassin brain in overload.


	21. Chapter Twenty

Sam sits across from Katherine who looks down at the table. They'd questioned him and he'd been vague, lying about how he knew Katherine, telling them he found her and she asked for his help, it's the simplest and the easiest explanation, without having to go into all the monster things, the vampire thing. They seemed convinced of his story, or at least let him believe they believe him. But the way she is cuffed makes him believe they know exactly who she is. He looks to her sadly as her metal fingers shift and curl before uncurling in the cuffs around her wrists keeping her attached to the table, deep down they both know if she really wanted to escape, she could, those cuffs would do nothing to stop her and neither would the men with guns.

“I don't want to stay here” she whispers and looks to him,

“Katherine” Sam starts, she hangs her head and starts to cry.

“They're not going to let me leave, are they?” she asks him.

“I should never have brought you here” he admits. “I'm sorry” she tries to lift her hand to wipe the tears from her cheek but the chains around her wrists stop her. “I was only trying to help you” he adds.

“I'm being punished for something I had no choice in” she whispers. “I did not choose to become what I am and when I was in my right mind, I ran away....I stopped hurting people and now I'm being punished”

“I know” Sam whispers back taking her flesh hand on the table.

“No touching” A voice states over the intercom.

“Seriously” Sam complains releasing Katherine's hand.

“It's okay” Katherine whispers. “Just a monster anyway” she mumbles sadly. “Thank you, Sam” she tells him lifting her head. “For everything you and....” she pauses struggling to say Dean's name. “For everything you both did for me” she finishes. “I am grateful” a tear slides down her cheek. “Eternally” she gives him a sad smile as the door behind her opens and two huge, and they really are huge, security guards step through, everyone had learnt their lesson after the Winter Soldier. “You can go now” Katherine tells Sam.

“I don't want to leave you here alone with them” Sam argues, Katherine glances to the guards.

“I don't think you have a choice” she counters turning back to him.

“I didn't mean for this to happen” he whispers, she nods.

“I know” she assures him. “But it was always going to end this way” she tells him with a small smile. “Either this....or my true death” she lifts her eyes slightly taking a deep breath. “Goodbye, Sam” she stands from her seat as one of the guards unlocks her cuffs from the table, Sam stands and steps around the table. The guards move to stop him, Sam stops and looks to Katherine sadly.

“Take care of yourself” he tells her. “Promise me, Kat” she nods.

“I promise” she whispers softly, both knowing that it's not really up to her what happens next. The guards grab her arms and pull her out of the room.

…............

Katherine is taken to another room, a slightly less serious set up, but she is still chained to the table in the centre of the room. The chair is a lot comfier and there are paintings on the wall. The door behind her opens and she listens to the footsteps approaching her, she scents the air and closes her eyes, whiskey and motor oil fill her senses, familiar. And if she really believed it, she could imagine Dean was there with her. But she knows he's not. This man is not Dean, and when she opens her eyes she sees he's not, he's older then Dean, more facial hair, but the same troubled eyes, pained with deep loss. He moves around the table.

“I'm Tony Stark, I'll be your interviewer today” he tells her stopping behind the chair in front of her. He's trying to elevate the mood but it's not working. “So” he starts sitting down. “Katherine Barnes” he sets his phone on the table and joins his hands together on the top of the wood. “Born March 10, 1917” he adds reading from the phone. “Daughter of George and Winifred Barnes....older sister to Rebecca Barnes and twin sister of James Buchanan Barnes, declared dead in 1947” he looks to her, she keeps her eyes on her hands. “So how are you sat here in front of me now?” he asks, she remains silent. “I know you talk” he argues. “I heard you talking to your friend” he sighs a little. “Why did you come here?” he asks. She doesn't answer. “You're not helping yourself here, Sweetheart” she growls low in her throat, a warning.

“Don't....Don't call me sweetheart” she warns.

“Alright so she does speak” he teases leaning back in his seat, she grinds her teeth together, head down as the veins creep up her face, she breath in through her nose and wills them away. “Look if you cooperate things will be easier for you” he tells her. “Just answer the questions” she sighs a little.

“I did die” she whispers, he frowns struggling to hear her. She lifts her head. “I did die” she repeats for him. “That's how it works” she leans forward a little. “That's what they did to me, I died and they brought me back”

“Who?” he asks.

“Hydra” she answers.

“You were with Hydra?” he asks. “All this time?”

“No” she shakes her head. “6 years ago I escaped, and I've been running ever since....I came here....I came here looking for Bucky” she whispers looking away. “Or Steve”

“They're not here” Tony tells her. She nods a little.

“I suspected when I was greeted with the armed guard” she snarks a little. He offers her a small smirk and then nods.

“Well...here's what we'll do” he starts. “We'll do a physical and a blood test, we'll get you some food, and see what happens next, how's that sound?”

“Am I a prisoner?” she asks.

“No” he answers.

“Am I allowed to leave?” she counter asks, he looks to her.

“No” he offers sadly. “You're....”

“Too unknown?” she asks looking out the window. “My Hydra name was Katerina Petrova” she tells him. “Look me up” he watches her a moment before looking down to his phone and typing her name in.

“Wow you and your brother” he grumbles reading her Hydra file.

“Up until about about two weeks ago, I had little memory of my.....life before Hydra, they took that away from me and made me do bad things for them, I know you don't understand, you can't understand, but I was a good person before....before they...broke me down” she whispers pulling her sleeves down her hands. “And rebuilt me the way they wanted, they made me a killer, they turned me into a monster, you can't begin to imagine how that makes you feel when it all come rushing back, remembering the girl you used to be, the killer they made you and the broken woman you are now....” she looks away. “There is no punishment that you can grant me that will make up for what I have done” Tony's features soften watching her, she closes her eyes and hangs her head. “Do what ever you must” she whispers. Tony watches her a moment and glances to his cell phone, reading her data, he raises an eyebrow and then looks to her.

“So...vampire huh?” he asks, she lifts her head to him. “Like classic Dracula or.....twilight?” he asks, she stares at him. “Well I mean the sun clearly does nothing to you” he motions to the windows. “Garlic? Mirrors? Holy water? Crucifix?”

“What?” she asks him, he smirks and shrugs.

“I'm curious....” he answers. “Show me your fangs” he asks leaning forward.

“I'm not a circus freak” she growls at him, they stare at one another a moment, he shrugs and leans back.

“Alright” he offers watching her, his eyes then move to the door as a guard walks in with the keys for her cuffs. He moves to Katherine who watches him as he reaches down and removes her cuffs before leaving again, she pulls her hands to herself and flexes her metal fingers, her arm whirls mechanically and Tony watches her, intrigue crossing his feature, eyes sparkling. “Do you have a metal arm too?” he asks stepping towards her. “Can I see?”

“No” she snaps adjusting her glove.

“You're not very polite, are you?” Tony asks, she glares at him.

“I don't trust you, or know you” she counters. “How do I know you're a good guy? You....wanted to lock my brother away”

“How do you know that?” he asks.

“It was all over the news” she answers. “Hard to miss it” he looks away.

“I got....” Tony sighs. “Emotional” he admits. “And....well....what can I do now?” he asks. “Rogers and Barnes took off with half the Avengers, I don't know where they are” he tells her.

“So why are you helping me?” she asks. “Why aren't you carting me off to whatever hole you had planned for my brother?” he shrugs and adjusts his jacket.

“Now how about a drink” Tony offers as he stands. Katherine looks to him. “And I'll show you to your room”

“My cell?” she asks.

“Nope, you get a whole room” he teases slightly, but it's weak, he's thinking on her question. Why isn't he treating her just the way he had treated Barnes, she is the same, same story, same history, she probably has the same number of bodies littering her past.

............

Katherine's new room is sparse, a bed, a dresser, a wardrobe, and en-suit. She spends a few hours just sitting on her bed, staring at the wall, she never felt lonely running from Hydra, or at the cabin, but now, here, she feels alone. So she ventures out to look around. Most of the doors are automatic, and seem to work on biometric scans, it also means that she's not allowed in them as they don't open for her, she flexes her metal fingers at her side and eyes the doors carefully and then moves on.

….....

In the end the only rooms she has access to are her own bedroom, the kitchen, a library, and living room. The living room is where she lingers, sat on the couch, arms wrapped around her legs held close to her chest. Everything is just sinking in but she's not sure she can cry any more, or if she should. Not even a year, she didn't even know Dean for a year. What right does she have to mourn? She sets her chin on the top of her knees. The room itself is impressive, compared to the things she's seen before. There is a huge, and she's not gonna try and guess the size, tv on the wall in front of her, the couches are newish and leather, there is a bar behind her with seats, a pool table across the room and a arcade machine against the wall making slight beeping noises. She closes her eyes and drowns everything out, stewing in her own body and mind.

.........

Tony leans on the kitchen counter watching Katherine, who is sat in the same place as she was yesterday and the day before that. He frowns.

“Have you moved at all?” he asks her. She doesn't answer. He doesn't really expect her to, she hasn't since the interview, not to him anyway. “Friday?” he asks.

“No, she has not” Friday tells him. “She has not moved in 62 hours” Tony sets his coffee down and sighs. “Nor has she fed or slept”

“Well that's just creepy” Tony comments and moves towards Katherine. “Alright, Dracula” he moves into her line of sight. “We went over this....I am now responsible for your care, your safety and your well being” she lifts her eyes to his. “That means you feed and you sleep” she just stares at him. “I don't know what happens when you don't feed” he admits. “But gonna guess it's nothing good....so you either feed....or I'm going to have to make you” he tells her. She just continues to stare at him. “Oh I'm gonna make you” he tells her walking away back to the kitchen, they'd set up a separate, new fridge under one of the cabinets for her blood, which would be restocked each week, just enough to keep her sated, never enough to make her powerful. He pulls a face as he opens the fridge and grabs a blood bag from it. He reads the front and raises an eyebrow. “Mmmm puppy blood” he teases. “Yummy” he doesn't see her roll her eyes. He grabs a tall glass from the cabinet under the bar before setting it on the top. “This is so gross” he comments opening the top of the blood bag and pouring the blood out into the glass, he cringes. “Straw?” he asks, she doesn't answer, he shrugs and sets a straw in the glass and moves back to her. “Alright, here we go” he stop sin front of her again and holds out the glass. “Drink it” he orders, she looks up at him before standing and slapping the glass out of his hand with a snarl, it shatters against the wall. “Uncalled for” he scolds.

“I spent the better part of 70 years at the hands of men who told me what to do and when to do it” she growls. “And I spent the last 6 years making sure that would never happen again. I will feed when I choose to. I will sleep when I decide that I need to. And not before” she snaps and then walks away from Tony who sighs.

“You promised your friend” he states turning to her, she stops and looks down. “You told him you'd look after yourself. Starving yourself is not looking after yourself” she wraps an arm around herself and then continues to walk away.

“Guess no one is honest any more” she whispers to herself as she strides down the hall. Tony runs his fingers through his hair and takes a deep breath.

“Should not be turned on by this” he mumbles to himself and then looks to the blood covered wall. “Seriously?” he asks himself.

…..............

Rhodey stares at the blood stain on the wall and then looks to Tony who is trying to clean it up.

“The vampire?” Rhodey asks, Tony shoots him a look.

“She won't feed” Tony complains. “What do you think happens when vampires don't feed?” he asks, Rhodey snorts.

“Up until this morning I didn't think about vampires full stop” Rhodey answers. “Honestly thought you were joking” Tony shoots him a look.

“Well....she's....Barnes' sister” Tony admits.

“I'm sorry, I didn't hear that, she's Barnes' what?” Rhodey pushes.

“His twin sister” Tony answers slowly. Rhodey gives him a look.

“Tony” Rhodey starts. “If this is some twisted revenge plot...”

“It's not” Tony argues, Rhodey looks unconvinced. “It's not” Tony repeats. “Okay, fine....maybe I thought about it when I realised who she is....but you just got to take a look at her, man, and you see how....” Tony shakes his head. “That's not what I am doing” he goes back to scrubbing at the wall. Rhodey shifts on his crutches.

“So where is our new house mate?” Rhodey asks.

“She stormed off about half an hour ago after leaving this...murder scene for me to clean up” Tony sighs.

“Why don't you call one of the cleaners to do it?” Rhodey asks.

“Because they're getting sick of cleaning up blood” Tony complains and then sighs. “This isn't coming off” he complains. “There's got to be another way to do this” Tony walks away, Rhodey sighs and follows after him.

…............

Katherine hadn't meant to blow up at Tony, and she hadn't realised she'd been sat there as long as she had, and he was right, she does need to feed and she does need to sleep. She just feels so heavy, weighed down by everything. But she hadn't meant to snap. That's not who she is any more. She walks back into the living room to find it empty and the blood still on the wall, she looks to the bucket on the floor and then nods to herself before moving to the bucket.

…..............

Tony and Rhodey return to the living room to find the blood stain gone and a post-it note stuck to where it had been, Tony raises an eyebrow and takes it before smirking as he reads it.

“Sorry for snapping and for the mess” he reads. “Katherine” he turns it to Rhodey.

“It's got to be weird for her” Rhodey explains. “I mean, she comes here looking for her brother and for her best friend, and neither of them are here any more.....except she gets stuck with you”

“Hey” Tony complains whining a little.

“You know what I mean.....she knows you hate her family, her brother....she knows you are the reason they're not here....that's...how she sees it” Rhodey explains. “You need to give her some space, let her get used to everything....” Tony sighs and sets the post-it back on the wall.

“Alright” Tony mumbles. “Perhaps you are right”

“I'm sorry, say that again” Rhodey teases, Tony snorts and shakes his head. “I'm serious, Tony, I want to hear you say it again, it might be a while till I hear it again” Rhodey adds with a smirk.

“I hate you” Tony tells his best friend and then walks away, Rhodey, on crutches, follows him.

“Come on, man, just once more” Rhodey pleads wearing a smirk.

.........

Katherine tries to stay out of the way after her anger thing with Tony, she just wants to keep herself out of the way and for the most part she does, and he doesn't seek her out, and neither do the other residents living there, she knows there is at least two others. And it's a month later she meets one of them. He's not very old, 16 maybe 17 at a push. And he's starting at her, spoon half raised to his mouth. She stares back at him, unsure about what she is supposed to do here. Does he know who and what she is? She ask herself. If not how does she introduce herself to him. 'Hi, I'm Kat, I'm the vampire living with you'?

“Hi” he squeaks. “I'm Peter” he offers holding out his hand, her eyes flicker to it and then back to his face. “Right” he lowers his hand. “Mr Stark said you might be around” he chatters nervously. “I mean you live here so of course you would be” oh he knows she's a vampire, she can hear it in his voice and the way his heart sounds like it is going to burst out of his chest, along with the scent of fear. “Mr Stark said you were quiet too, that's okay, he says I could talk for an entire crowd once I get going” he glances to her as she cocks her head. “Are you going to eat me?” Peter asks standing from his seat with his bowl of cereal. “Cause I bet I don't taste too good” he backs away from her. It's not that she doesn't want to talk to him, it's just that she's trying to withdraw from humanity and she has a feeling this kid would grip tight to her heart and won't let go. She always had a soft, caring side for kids when she was human, she just couldn't help herself. “I'm gonna go” he tells her and then runs away, Katherine looks down and then moves to the fridge. Children were always her weak point as a human, she couldn't resist. She always wanted to be a mother. She just....never got a chance. Another thing Hydra took from her. She pulls a blood bottle from the fridge and then leaves.

…..............

Katherine makes her way back to her room when she spots the shopping bags out side of her door, she frowns and cocks her head before moving to them. There is a note attached to one of the bags which she pulls off. 'You didn't have very much when you arrived, and the stuff you did have was looking a little....old. I had my assistant grab you some things' she peers into one of the bags and then looks back to the note.. 'I asked her to stick to the sort of stuff you've been wearing. Hope they fit. Tony' she looks back down at the bag and clenches her jaw. There are a few plaid shirt, some black or grey tees, jeans and leather too. The plaid shirts she's been wearing are Dean's and she's not going to give up wearing them. It's all she has left. She pulls the collar closer and sniffs. It still smells like him. She swallows the lump in her throat and closes her eyes to stop herself from crying again. She prefers to do that in her room curled up in the bath, so no one can see her being weak and pathetic. Tony walks around the corner and spots her.

“What's wrong?” Tony asks watching her, she shakes her head and looks away from him.

“Nothing” she mumbles as she stands.

“Clearly something” he argues. She sighs. “Are they not to your liking? I can get Pepper to change them”

“It's not the clothes” she whispers. “Just...like my old clothes” she admits.

“You can still wear them” he argues. “No one's telling you to throw them out, the new clothes are just to add to your wardrobe, not to replace it” she shrugs.

“I still don't want them, I didn't ask you to do this”

“It's like I'm living with two teenagers” Tony scolds. “Only one of them is actually 100” Katherine sighs and looks to him.

“Look, if I have to live here, I don't need you up my ass all the time, I don't need you babying me, or buying me things, or treating me...like...whatever it is you see when you look at me”

“I've been giving you space” he offers. “I know this isn't easy, and I know it wasn't easy for you to come here” she looks away. “I just thought some new clothes would make you feel better” she clenches her jaw and shakes her head. “Alright then” he mumbles. “I'll have Pepper return them” she does feel bad, because he does make a fine point, and she's really not trying to be difficult, she's just trying very hard not get attached to any more humans. She can't go through that again. Dean left her and it hurt more then anything Hydra ever did to her. Tony watches her, flickering of different emotions crossing her face, but pain being the most prominent. She stands and opens her room door. Tony clears his throat and she pauses. “Oh and hey, try not to scare the kid” he adds. “Alright, he's....a good kid, okay, he tries”

“He's very young to be an Avenger” she offers, betraying herself slightly with the worry in her voice.

“Yes” Tony agrees. “But if he's not part of this then he's off doing it by himself, without back up, without resources, without help” And Tony betrays himself a little, admitting to Katherine the reason he has the kid around is to stop him from going off and getting hurt. She looks to him. They share a look before she vanishes into her room, Tony sighs and moves to collect the shopping bags. He'd gotten her the clothes for the reasons he told her and to cheer her up, she's been moping and brooding since she arrived and he just wanted to do something nice.

…..................


	22. Chapter Twenty One

Katherine avoids again, for another month, she does as vampires do, retreats in her room all day and ventures out at night. Two months she's been there for now. Two months and she still feels no better about Dean's death. It hurts, every moment of every day, like there is a constant knife in her chest. This is what she gets. More then 70 years of feeling nothing and the first person she lets in does this to her. Breaks her heart and leaves her all alone to deal with it. Katherine pokes her head out of her room, glancing around, listening. Quiet and empty. She closes the door behind her and heads towards the kitchen to feed. Grateful for the quiet. She spots the ribbon wrapped mug on the counter first, sitting pride of place on the top of a cooler box. Katherine moves to it and snatches the card from the top.

“New supply of blood” she reads. “Test it, let me know what you think. The mug is from the kid, he is trying to break the ice. Tony” she snorts and sets the note down to pick up the mug. A mug with a pair of female lips and fangs on and the words 'I bite'. Katherine glares at the mug. Peter would never have picked out such a cliché joke. He was too afraid of her. This had to only have been Tony, or at least Tony talking Peter into it.

“You must be Katherine” A voice states from the doorway, she glances up from the mug to the man. “Rhodey” he offers motioning to himself. “I'm a friend of Tony's” she watches as he moves towards her, well towards the kitchen on his crutches. “This place is pretty quiet most of the time” He talks letting her listen. “Recently anyway” he glances to her as he passes her. “You know...he made a mistake because he got too emotional” Rhodey offers. “Or....reasonably emotional when you find out that your parents didn't die in a car accident but were actually killed by the hands of a 100 year old assassin” She looks down, he waits for a response but gets nothing. “Couldn't sleep either huh?” he asks grabbing a glass from the cabinet and filling it with water, Katherine glances up to watch him. “Must be weird” he offers. “New people, new place....not sure who you can trust” he turns to lean back against the cabinet. “I'd be feeling pretty lonely, right about now” she looks away. “Just saying....you may not be the only one” he leans up. “Tony usually spends his nights in the labs, fiddling with little experimental things” he starts to crutch away. “Just so you know” he offers and smirks a little as he leaves the room. He may be meddling a bit, but he knows that both Katherine and Tony are lonely, and perhaps some form of friendship can be formed to alleviate that. Tony needs some new friends and Katherine just needs someone. Katherine watches him go before looking to the mug on the counter.

…............

Tony looks up as the lab doors open, he finds the space empty, he frowns a little before going back to his work. It's silent in the lab a moment before:

“I made coffee” Katherine states behind him, Tony screams and spins to her. “Sorry” she offers sadly stepping back looking nervous and regretful.

“You scared the crap out of me” Tony scolds her, she looks away. “What are you doing creeping around?”

“I'm sorry” she whispers and starts to back away.

“Wait, Katherine, wait” he stands and moves towards her, she looks away and holds out a mug off coffee to him. He takes it from her. “Thanks” she shifts slightly. “Sorry for snapping...” he offers. “Wasn't expecting anyone else to be up”

“Rhodey said you were up” she whispers. “I can go” she adds. “I should go” she turns to leave.

“Can I look at your arm?” he asks setting the coffee on the desk and then turning to her as she stops. “Professional curiosity” he offers, she looks to him. And he can see her thinking. She nods and moves back to him, Tony pulls a stool over to join his. “You like your mug?” he asks as she sits with him. She shoots him a glare. He smirks. “Yeah, I picked it up for the kid”

“I figured that much out myself” he gasps dramatically.

“I think that's the most you've ever said to me” he points out, she rolls her eyes. Katherine pulls off the plaid shirt to reveal her arm, she flexes her metal fingers and he takes her elbow to pull it closer to him, also pulling a lamp over and switching it on. She looks away as he looks over it. “Not as crude as the joining on your brother's arm” he offers touching the seam where her flesh meets metal. “Outdated” he mumbles moving his hand down along the metal. “What is this made of?” he asks tapping his fingers along the metal.

“No idea” she answers. “Not like they told me anything” she mumbles eyes on something across the lab.

“Friday” Tony states. “Scan” he grabs a stand and pulls it under her arm, resting it on the top as Friday starts her scan of Katherine's arm.

“85% Titanium. 5% Tungsten. And a composition of carbon fibre, gold, and steel” Friday tells them. Tony nods a little and turns her arm over to look at her palm.

“Can you feel this?” he asks stroking her palm, she looks to him and then down to his fingers.

“No” she answers. He wrinkles his nose a little. “This was made and attached in the 40's” she reminds him. “Pretty....advanced for the time” he nods in agreement.

“No, you're right...just outdated now” he offers and glances to the screen as something flashes. “Katherine” he states and looks to her. “This scan Friday ran....” his eyes flicker to her right leg and she shifts slightly and then looks away again. “Is it the same?” he asks quietly, she nods. “Alright then” he takes her arm again and grabs a screwdriver from the side. She relaxes slightly when he doesn't ask her to show her leg. She glances to him as he unscrews the panel in her arm.

..............

Tony knocks on Katherine's apartment door and waits, jiggling a little as he waits. She pulls open the door and raises an eyebrow at him. He looks over her, she was clearly either ready for bed or not expecting to see anyone as all she is wearing is a plaid shirt and a pair of shorts, his eyes linger on her metal leg. It's cruder in design then her arm, clearly not as decorative. They weren't going for appearance there, it is all about functionality. She shifts slightly and looks away, trying to hide now

“Yes?” she asks him.

“Urm” Tony raises his eyes to her. “Movie night?” he asks her. “Peter's picked out some cheesy comedy but....you can join us if you want”

“No” she answers, it's a quiet a moment. “Thank you” she adds quieter. “But...no” she backs into the room. “I don't think that's a good idea” she whispers wanting to disappear back into her room to drink.

“Okay, well you know where we are” Tony offers with a nod, he backs away from the door and she closes it before he turns back, Tony sighs a little. He's trying. But she's locked herself up tighter then the Raft, which actually proved to be not that secure, that is a terrible analogy, he shouldn't have thought that. He frowns and shakes his head walking away.

................

Tony watches Rhodey and Peter sat together laughing, Tony smirks a little and then glances back in the direction of Katherine's room. He turns and heads back that way, Rhodey glances to him and smirks a little. Peter looks to him.

“What?” Peter asks.

“Nothing” Rhodey answers. “Just Tony being obvious”

“Obvious about what?” Peter asks, Rhodey gives him a look and raises an eyebrow. “What? Mr. Stark and..Katherine?” he asks. Rhodey sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose.

….................

Tony doesn't knock, he just walks into Katherine's room, she looks to him with a glare as he approaches the couch she's sat on, positioned against the end of the bed facing the small tv on the wall, a coffee table between the two.

“Budge up” Tony tells her as he takes a seat on the small couch, setting a bottle of whiskey on the table. She glares at him but does move over a little to give him space.

“What are you doing?” she asks him.

“Peter and Rhodey can watch the sappy comedy and I'll sit with you and watch...” he glances to the tv. “What are we watching?” he sighs a little seeing a clip of Bucky and Steve.

“I can turn it off” she whispers reaching for the remote, he grabs her wrist and shakes his head.

“No, don't” he assures her. “It's okay” he assures her, giving her a small smile and leaning back into his seat. “How long's it been for you?” he asks lifting his glass to his lips. “I last saw Bucky...” she stops to think. “7 years ago” she whispers. “Just...he wasn't Bucky then, I mean....he was the Winter Soldier” she closes her eyes. “We were both stood in the same room and....neither of us had any idea who the other was” Tony looks to her sadly whilst her eyes are closed. He can't imagine how that must feel now, for both of them, knowing that they forgot their own twins. “Bucky as Bucky....and Steve....before they went off to war” she admits opening her eyes. “70 plus years” she shrugs and looks down. “This is not how I imagined my life turning out” she admits.

“You think any of us did?” he asks her looking to her, she glances to him. “None of us chose this, Katherine, something happened, or someone happened, something bad happened....it sucks, it does, but you know....what can you do it about now?” he asks her. “Nothing” he answers and shrugs.

“Would you change anything?” she asks him.

“Oh I would change a lot of things” he admits. “But I can't....” she stares at him a moment, studying his face a little. “What?” he asks, she shakes her head. “You gonna eat me now?” he asks, she rolls her eyes and looks away. He smiles a little at her behind her back. It's nice having someone that wasn't directly involved in everything around, she may know about it all, but she wasn't there. She doesn't look at him, judging him, hating him, not for that stuff, well she may not be his number 1 fan, but it's because of her brother and not because of aaalllll the crap he's done.

......................

Katherine turns the tv off once Tony falls asleep against her side, it didn't take him long to drift off after they started to really watch the tv. It wasn't that he found it boring, it's just that he was exhausted, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, he's just drained, years and years of stress just peaking. And he finds Katherine's presence comforting. She's quiet and doesn't push for him to be Tony. She looks to him sleeping against her shoulder, he looks younger like this. She stands slowly, letting him rest on her couch, pulling a blanket from her bed and laying it over him. She stares at him a moment longer before leaving her room.

…...........

The night air is warm, about average for August. The sky clear and bright as Katherine sits under a tree in the Facility garden. She closes her eyes and leans back against the tree.

…...........

When the sun rises Katherine returns to her own room, Tony is gone, but there is a small box and a note on her bed. She wrinkles her nose and moves to it, opening the box first. Inside is a very, very sparkly bracelet. She frowns and grabs the note, she unfolds it to read Tony's handwriting on the inside: Thanks for last night. She scowls and shuts the bracelet box grabbing it from the bed before storming out of the room.

............

Tony glances to Katherine as she walks into the room, Peter looks surprised and slightly terrified, she's glaring and it's...he wants to leave, he wants to run away and hide in a hole.

“Hey” Tony starts, she shoves the gift box at him and shakes her head.

“Don't” She warns him. “Ever” she turns and walks away from him, Peter frowns and looks to Tony.

“What did you do?” he asks him, Tony opens the gift box and sighs a little, the bracelet is beautiful and something that he would usually send in thanks. “Oh no” Peter comments. “You know she's...a vampire and more then 100 years old and you tried to buy her with a bracelet” Tony looks to Peter.

“It wasn't to buy her” Tony argues. “It was to say thank you”

“It's a bit much for thank you” Peter tells him. “You should have tried flowers” Peter stands grabbing his bowl of cereal before leaving the room, Tony looks down at the bracelet and then closes the lid. Flowers. He can do flowers. He stands and leaves the room.

…...........

Katherine spends the day on the roof of the facility, it's quiet and no one else goes up there, she can be alone. Resting back against the wall to stare blankly at the sky.

….............

Returning Katherine pauses opening her apartment doors and growls as she is assaulted with the scent of flowers, she sneezes and shakes her head. Her apartment is filled with flowers. Every surface has flowers on them and there are even baskets of flowers on the floor. She rubs at her nose and moves to the closest bouquet. There is a card attached to it, Katherine sniffs harshly and then tries to sneeze to get the smell out of her nose. She reads the card and glares at it. Tony. Again. An apology. She sneezes again and groans.

…................

Tony sits with Peter and Rhodey watching tv as Peter does his homework. Katherine is suddenly standing in front of them, Peter jumps and shouts surprised.

“Ahh!” Peter looks down embarrassed.

“You like the flowers?” Tony asks Katherine who shoots him a look showing him exactly what she thinks of them, she sneezes again and groans. “You don't like them” Tony offers. “What's wrong with them?”

“I don't know, maybe it's to do with my enhanced sense of smell” she offers. “And how I have a nose better then a blood hound and you just filled my apartment with flowers, and not just one type, a lot of different types....it's all I can smell, even from here” she offers.

“I said flowers” Peter argues amused as Rhodey laughs. “Not a greenhouse”

“I didn't know which flowers to get” Tony argues. “Okay, I didn't know which you would like, I just wanted to apologise for the bracelet” he tells her quietly.

“What part of don't ever, didn't you get?” she asks him.

“That was about all gifts?” he asks her, she glares at him and then sneezes before walking away.

“Okay, what is going on with you?” Rhodey asks Tony. “You getting flustered there?” Tony turns to him, Rhodey and Peter are smirking at him.

“I'm not flustered” Tony argues, they both shoot him a look. “Alright, so...I ended up falling asleep on her couch and well....I slept the whole night...no nightmares” Rhodey nods a little pulling a face, he knows how much of a step that is for Tony.

“Because of her?” Peter asks quietly, Tony nods a little and looks away embarrassed.

“Alright, so step it up” Rhodey offers.

“She said no gifts” Peter points out.

“She means no Tony gifts” Rhodey argues. “He needs to get to know her, and then get her gifts that mean something to her....” Tony glances to them. “Get to know her” Rhodey tells Tony. “Spend time with her, talk....” Tony looks down thinking, Rhodey pats his shoulder and then stands leaving him alone. “Peter” Rhodey calls for the younger boy.

“Oh, okay” Peter follows Rhodey out of the room.

…..........

Tony finds Katherine trying to get all the flowers out of her apartment, between sneezes. Okay flowers were a bad idea. Or that many flowers were a bad idea. She turns and sees him.

“I couldn't even smell you coming” she complains.

“Let me” Tony takes the flowers from her and she sneezes again, her nose trying to get rid of the smell. “For future reference...” he starts and glances to her, she sighs.

“I don't know” she offers. “It used to be marigolds, when I was human.....with my nose now...” she shrugs. “I don't know, flowers weren't very high on Hydra's list of priorities”

“No I guess not” he offers setting the flowers outside of her apartment, she rubs at her nose and wrinkles it. Tony looks to her and sighs. “I am really sorry, I'm not very good at dealing with women who....”

“Don't instantly want to fall into bed with you?” she asks him, he snorts and nods.

“Pretty much” he agrees. Tony steps closer to her and she growls a little in warning.

“Don't” she warns. “I urm...You should know that...there was this guy” she admits. “And...” she shakes her head and looks away. “I just....humans getting close now, I don't think it's a good idea” he watches as she moves taking the flowers outside and setting them down before walking back into her apartment. “You should just go” she tells him, Tony sighs.

“Listen, I know it sucks” he offers, she snorts.

“Do you?” she asks. “I'm pretty much immortal” she argues. “I already lost....everyone I have ever gotten close to....my parents, my sister, my brother, my best friend....Dean and Sam....Bobby, Frank....I can't do it any more...so please, leave me alone, let me be miserable by myself” she looks to him.

“Okay” he offers and backs away, for now he'll leave her be, she's still hurting but she'll get better, things like this pass. And when she needs someone to talk to, he'll be there. It's about time he did something right for a Barnes.


	23. Chapter Twenty Two

Tony walks into the kitchen finding Katherine sat at the breakfast bar with a book and a glass of blood. He takes a deep breath and looks to the cooler in his hand, their weekly delivery for Katherine. He walks towards her, steeling himself. This girl makes him 300 times more nervous then any other woman ever has before. He's not sure if it's the whole vampire thing, the 100 year old in a smoking body thing or what. But she sets him on edge, his palms get sweaty and his heart races. And he kind of likes that she doesn't want to sleep with him, that she hasn't just fallen straight into his bed.

“Are you over the whole flower fiasco yet?” Tony asks setting a hospital cooler on the counter, she looks to him and wrinkles her nose a little.

“My room still stinks” she comments looking down at her book. “Pretty sure I could slaughter 5 people in there and it would still stink like pollen” she grumbles.

“I'd rather you didn't slaughter 5 people” he tells her with a smirk, she snorts a little. “You tried air fresheners?” he asks, she glances to him.

“Sure, spray more scent on top.....” she comments.

“Deodoriser?” he asks. “There're some good ones out there”

“None are effective enough for my nose” she answers glancing back to her book.

“What are you reading?” he asks, she sighs a little. “Am I bothering you?” he asks leaning away.

“If I didn't want to be bothered I would have taken my dinner in my room...” she offers. “Crime and Punishment” she offers holding up the book. “It was recommended” he hums a little.

“Not a huge reader, me” Tony admits. “Unless there is a film or something” he adds with a smirk. She fights her own smirk. He watches her a moment. “We're having take out” he tells her. “If you eat that sort of thing” she glances to him and shrugs. “I know you asked me to leave you alone” he leans on the counter. “And I'm not trying anything, just...offering dinner with me, Rhodey and the kid, you may even meet Vision if he turns up....” he raises an eyebrow at her as she turns a page in her book.

…..............

Katherine fidgets a little as Tony sits beside her, the table is small considering how big the Avengers are supposed to be, maybe they traded down when the split happened, the space on her other side is empty, neither Peter or Rhodey brave enough to sit next to her, yet. But Tony is sat next to her, closer then she is comfortable with, he reaches across the table for a tray of food.

“Can you eat?” Peter asks curious. “I mean considering...”

“I'm dead?” Katherine asks him, he nods nervous. “As long as I consume blood, everything works....I eat, sleep, pee...” Peter looks down and smiles a little. “Eating is just a little....intense” she offers. “I tend not to...but I don't mind it” Tony nods a little offering the take out tray to her, Katherine takes it from him. Katherine hisses, her fangs descending as this thing floats up through the floor. Peter is wide eyed in fear at Katherine's display.

“Easy, Dracula” Tony states touching her flesh arm. “It's just Vision” Katherine's face pulls back and she watches Vision cautiously.

“Miss Barnes” Vision greets.

“Vision” she offers back carefully as Vision takes the empty seat at her side. She can't smell anything from him, nothing human or living anyway.

“He's synthetic” Tony offers nothing her eyes stuck on Vision. “Made of vibranium and then installed with an AI. He's powered by that stone in his head” Katherine's eyes flicker to the stone.

“Why?” she asks looking to Tony. “What is his purpose? Security? Companionship?”

“That's a very good question” Rhodey teases, Tony clears his throat and shrugs.

“You know....reasons” Tony offers, Katherine raises an eyebrow at him. “I had a vision” he admits looking to her. “Where...everyone dies, that the Avengers wouldn't be enough, so...”

“You created something that would be” she offers, he nods a little, also a little surprised she gets it. “Like Hydra did with me and Bucky” she comments, Rhodey raises an eyebrow impressed. “They created weapons to give them an edge against their enemies...” Tony frowns a little looking away, when she puts it like that, he can see her point. “Isn't that what you did when you created Vision?”

“Okay, that's...different” Tony argues.

“Why?” Katherine asks, Tony looks to her. “Because you have different beliefs as to what is right, who the bad guy is, how to save the world, they believed just as you do, that they wanted to make the world a better place, granted they...went about it the very, very wrong way, but....what if Vision didn't work out, what if....he turned into another Ultron?”

“You don't know what you're talking about” Tony argues looking to her. “And I know what you're doing”

“What's that then?” she asks.

“Pushing” he answers. “You have an issue with people getting close so now you're creating an issue” Katherine raises an eyebrow. “You showed fear and now you're lashing out” Katherine swallows slightly clenching her jaw in annoyance at being caught out. “Well it's not going to work” Tony tells her turning back to his food, he pokes at it with his fork. “Now eat your dinner” he tells her, Katherine looks to the food and then to Rhodey and Peter who look away from her not wanting to get involved. She looks down embarrassed and picks up her fork. “Good girl” Tony tells her with a small uneasy smile. It kind of bothered him how she saw the whole Vision thing, along with realising she's actually right.

“Sorry” she whispers sadly, Tony shrugs and nudges her slightly.

“S'kay, Dracula” he tells her, she looks to him, he gives her a wink and then settles on eating.

....................

Katherine scoots along her couch as Tony enters her bedroom apartment and walks towards her.

“I'm sorry for what I said at dinner” Katherine tells Tony as he sits next to her, setting a bottle of whiskey on her coffee table, he shrugs a little as he settles at her side. The tv playing an old black and white classic. He hands her a glass.

“Meh” he comments. “You were right” he admits quietly. “I mean Hydra were dicks about it but yeah, I see your point” she takes the glass from him and offers a small smile. “So...if I promise not to fall asleep on your couch can I stay?” he asks motioning to the tv, she nods a little.

“Sure” she answers watching him, Tony kicks off his shoes and sets them up on the table, letting out a content sigh as he watches the film. Katherine shifts slightly closer, ghosting, leaning against him, he chooses not to make a big deal about it.

.........

Tony starts spending every evening with Katherine watching movies in the couple of weeks following the group dinner. She's even been more social with Rhodey who actually likes how quiet she is. He was the one who initially recommended Crime and Punishment for her to read. She's even gotten used to waking up and finding a mug of coffee and a blood bag on the bedside table waiting for her along with a teasing vampire comment or joke or remark that haven't failed to make her smile, in private, in the comfort of her own room. And this morning is no different. Katherine turns over and is greeted by her mug, she's grown to tolerate it. She sits up and takes the coffee pulling the post it note from the blood bag, she smiles reading the quip from Tony; 'They say my blood is the sweetest. Wanna find out how the rest me tastes?'. She doesn't know where he finds them but she finds herself not wanting him to stop. She sips on her coffee before climbing from the bed.

…..........

“Tony?” Katherine asks walking into the quiet lab, Friday had asked her to join Tony here, it makes no sense that he isn't here. She huffs a little and rolls her eyes. She turns to leave and the doors open letting Tony walk in.

“Where you going?” he asks her, she shoots him a look.

“You weren't here” she comments.

“I am now” he counters with a smirk and walks past her to his desk. “Drink?” he asks grabbing two glasses and a bottle of whiskey, she raises an eyebrow before nodding. He fills the glasses.

“Sure” she sits across from him as he slides a glass to her. “So what did you want?” she asks. “Just to drink?” he shakes his head and reaches into his jacket taking his own seat

“I know you said no more gifts but...” Tony clears his throat and holds out a small box. “I saw this in the city”

“Tony” she warns setting her drink down.

“Just....” he starts grabbing her wrist and setting the box into it. “I'm trying to be thoughtful here” she sighs and looks to the box before opening it. Inside is a silver dragonfly brooch. “Woman behind the counter told me it's from the 1930's” he tells her, she traces the lines of the dragonfly's wings and she looks to him.

“Why?” she asks him.

“Well you've been here 3 months now” he answers and shrugs. “Ah...okay, honestly I walked past the store and saw it...thought of you” he whispers, admitting to her that he really did just see something and instantly wanted to give it to her.

“It's beautiful” she comments closing the box lid, Tony knows that her tone isn't in it, the sentiment isn't right there.

“But?” he asks.

“I don't deserve it” she holds it back to him. “You should...keep it for someone who does” she looks away from him to her drink.

“Katherine” he mumbles pushing her hand back. “I got it for you” he argues with a small smile. “It's just a brooch” he assures her. “A thank you for not eating us all in our sleeps gift if that makes you feel better about it” she glances to him and then pulls the box to herself.

“Thank you” she whispers not looking to him as she touches the top of the box.

“You know people do this” he offers. “Give gifts for no reason....it's what friends do”

“And I am your friend?” she asks him.

“If you wanna be” he offers. “I know you like brooding by yourself but...you know, if you want to watch a film or....go outside...or drink” he offers motioning to her glass. “Or even if you just want...to not be alone” she looks to him and then nods.

…...................

Katherine glares out the window at the sun scorching down on the facility, she hates weather like this, she stands out more for covering up. And she is wearing a long sleeved black shirt and dark jeans with boots and a plaid overshirt today, and she knows she looks like she should be melting. She sits nursing a scotch on the rocks with a bloody twist when Tony heads in from outside, sunglasses over his eyes, he smiles seeing her as he heads to the bar she's sat at.

“You not wanna come and enjoy the sun?” Tony asks, unaware that Katherine is watching him, he's forgone a shirt and whilst not as built as Sam or even Dean he's not unattractive, he stays in shape but is older so it doesn't go as far, but still. He frowns when she doesn't answer him, and turns to look at her. “Katherine?” he asks, she jerks her eyes up to his face from his chest. She'd been distracted by a bead of sweat that was working it's way down his stomach, a bead of sweat that invokes feelings in her she shut off after Dean, feelings she's not sure she wants to feel again.

“What?” she asks him looking to her glass, her cheeks tinting pink with the embarrassment of being caught.

“The sun” Tony offers. “You not want to go outside and enjoy it?”

“Not particularly no” she answers moving the little stirrer around her glass. Tony leans on the counter shifting closer to her.

“You take the whole broody assassin vampire thing seriously, don't you?” he asks with a small smirk teasing her.

“Well I'm not known as Summer Shadow” she comments, teasing back, he smirks wider and nods.

“Touche” he comments. “So you prefer winter?” he asks.

“Not particularly” she offers, he raises an eyebrow. “Christmas though” she admits after a few seconds silence. “I like Christmas” she smiles. “The lights, and the colours, the music....” he smiles listening to her. “There's just nothing like it” she sits up a little. “What about you?”

“Well I don't really have a favourite holiday” he admits. “It was always my mom that did the family thing but....Howard, he'd always find some way to ruin it” Tony then realises something and looks to her. “You knew him, right?”

“Not really” she comments. “I only met him once through Steve...” she pauses and looks down. “Bucky tried to keep me away from all that stuff when it happened....” she rubs her finger around the rim of her glass. “I think he was worried I'd get ideas about doing my part”

“You didn't want to?” Tony asks, she smirks.

“Not really, I wanted to stay home and go to parties, flirt with boys” she admits.

“So you weren't always....this?” Tony motions to her, she shoots him a look. “You know what I mean” he comments. “Dark and twisted”

“When I was younger, when I was human, I was beautiful, carefree....” she offers. “All I cared about was having fun...” she shrugs. “I don't even think that person is any where inside me any more”

“I'm sure she is” he comments. “You just need to loosen up a little” he jiggles about a little to explain his point. “Strip down some of those walls of yours”

“I can't” she argues. “I don't know what's on the other side” she adds, he gives her a small smile.

“You can be this person” he motions to her. “For the rest of your life, for....forever” he offers. “Or you can try and....adjust, to try and mend a little bit of yourself” he shrugs and grabs his drink. “That brooch looks great by the way” he tells her walking away, Katherine reaches up and touches the brooch on her tshirt, she smiles a little and looks down at her drink.

….........

Summer comes and goes and soon the nights are closing in, the weather turning cooler and the leaves start to turn orange, brown and red. It's beautiful. Katherine spends longer getting up on a morning, opting to watch the wind in the leaves outside of her window. The birds that are brave enough to approach her room. Robins. She used to feed them, back when she was human, she'd take feed into the garden and set it out for them before retreating into the house to watch them. Bucky used to say she was too soft, that she'd just make them fat. She didn't care. She sighs and sits up in bed, looking for Tony, she finds her couch empty. Tony spends most nights with Katherine, he helps her catch up on movies and tv shows that Hydra hadn't bothered to teach her. Some nights he makes adjustments to her arm, repairing the 6 years that it went uncared for. She could only do so much herself. Some nights he even sleeps in her room, stretched out on her couch, those nights are the most confusing to Katherine, mostly because on more then one occasion she's almost asked him into her bed, to sleep, only to sleep. But the last person she shared a bed with was Dean....and he left her alone. Part of her worried that if she lets herself get close to anyone else then they will leave her too. Everyone leaves her. Bucky. Steve. Sam. Dean. Frank. Bobby. Is this her punishment? For all the years she caused pain and suffering and shed blood. This is what she deserves. To be alone. She falls back against her pillow and stares at the ceiling. Tony opens and slips in through the door, carrying a mug of coffee, a blood bag tucked under his arm. He shuts the door and turns to Katherine, she doesn't even look at him. He frowns a little.

“You okay?” Tony asks her as he sets the coffee on the side, she nods and rolls onto her other side, facing away from him. Tony doesn't take it to heart, Katherine has bad days when all she wants it to curl into a ball and cry, he's caught her doing that a few times, not that he'd ever tell her he saw, she'd just withdraw further from him. She makes him think, seeing her like that, whether it's the same for Barnes. For Bucky. Whether he was maybe too harsh on him. Maybe he was. Maybe he overreacted, let his emotions get the better of him and he snapped. Saw red and nothing else mattered. But seeing Katherine, seeing how much damage Hydra did to her. Maybe he was a little harsh. Tony doesn't linger, he sets the blood bag down and leaves, he knows she prefers to be on her own. He closes the door behind him and pauses slightly. He wants to be the sort of man that can go back in there and sit with her, letting her silently work through it, whilst being there for her. But he would make it awkward. He always does, he'll do something or say something and make it worse. He always screws it up. Even if he tries to make it better. He looks down and walks away.

….............

When Katherine finally ventures out of her room she doesn't even bother getting fully dressed, wearing shorts, a vest shirt and one fluffy sock on her flesh foot she heads into the kitchen. It's empty and quiet and chilly but she doesn't care, she rather likes it. Being alone is what is best for her. Katherine cocks her head at the box of chocolates on the counter, a note attached to the top with her name on. She looks around the kitchen and then picks up the note. Opening it she takes a breath and shakes her head. The note reads: 'So I was bored, and I got to thinking; Hey, what if you could enjoy chocolate and blood. This is what I came up. Let me know which flavours work best. Enjoy. Tony'. She sets the note down and opens the box of chocolates. They're all different shapes and sizes and colours. She can't believe he did this for her. Something as simple as chocolates. That has her undead heart stuttering in her chest. What is he doing to her? She sets the lid back on the chocolates before going about setting out a glass of blood. Her mind working away as she thinks on the last 6 months. She's been here 6 months. It's been 6 months since Dean....'died'. Since Sam left her with these people, since she's heard from him. 6 months. She hangs her head and sniffles, starting to cry. She is glad, of course she is, that Tony took her in and let her stay here, she is glad he hasn't tried to kill her, or hurt her, or imprison her. But she still feels alone. Rhodey lingers in the doorway, unsure if he should back away or not, he guesses she won't appreciate it if he walks in on her crying. Rhodey sets his crutch across Peter's chest to stop him interrupting Katherine, Peter frowns at him. Rhodey just shakes his head back in response.

…...............

Tony looks up as the lab doors open and then quickly tries to shut down his work, only relaxing when he sees Rhodey, his shoulders sag in relief.

“Hey, buddy” Tony greets minimising the tab on his computer.

“Hey” Rhodey greets. “You spoken to Katherine today?”

“Not since this morning, she seemed to be having a bad day so....Left her to it”

“Yeah, that's what I thought....look, you want her to be more then just....friends, right?” Tony shoots him a look. “You need to comfort her through these days....not leave her on her own...today seem worse then the last”

“What are you talking about?” Tony asks.

“She was crying, in the kitchen” Rhodey answers. They know that Katherine keeps her bad moods to her room, away from everyone. “We all know she's suffering, but solitude is not helping her, Tony....we need to draw her out, we need to get her involved in stuff.....have you thought about taking her into the City? Or to the coast?”

“I don't know what vampires like to do” Tony argues.

“She's not just a vampire” Rhodey scolds. “She's still a woman too, a woman who has spent years being locked away from the world....”


	24. Chapter Twenty Three

Tony has decided to get Katherine out of the facility. And with Halloween around the corner he's found the perfect excuse to get her out of her room. A Halloween party that he hasn't thought through, a Halloween party which will be filled with hot, writing, flesh bodies. And he is inviting the in house vampire to said party. He doesn't understand the danger.

“Why do I have to wear a costume?” Katherine asks following Tony through the facility.

“Because it's a Halloween party” he argues looking to her.

“I do not want to go to a party” she argues back, sulking slightly.

“It'll be fun” he offers, she rolls her eyes.

“No, it'll be torture” she mumbles to herself as they walk through a set of double doors to the garage. “Will there be humans at this party?” she asks, Tony snorts.

“Yes, Katherine” he answers.

“What if I eat someone?” she asks, Tony turns to her and realises how worried she actually is. He steps closer to her.

“Dracula” he starts. “You live with humans, you tolerate me sleeping in your room....and you haven't eaten us....” she shoots him a look.

“You don't know what it's like” she offers. “Being around you guys....” he watches her. “It's like...I haven't eaten in...in months and you all smell like a fresh, perfectly cooked stake....I have to resist every moment of everyday from tearing into you and just....devouring you” Tony knows that wasn't meant to be sexual. He knows. But oh god did he take it as sexual. He swallows slightly. He will not admit that his feelings towards her have become more and more sexual. The more time he spends with her the more he wants her. But she doesn't need horny Tony right now, she needs supportive Tony. He moves closer to her and touches her flesh arm.

“I'll look after you” he assures her. “And Rhodey and Peter will be there, they'll look after you too....” she looks down a little, not sure how to deal with people looking after her like this. Sam and Dean, of course, did so in their own way but for the most part they let her get on with being her. Tony is proving to like being around her all the time. She's still not sure if she likes that yet. On one hand she enjoys the company, Tony doesn't push her to talk, sometimes he just lets her sit in the lab and watch him work. And on the other hand...he's human and she wants to eat him. And then there's Dean; her feelings for that man, that human, they're buried deep and now Tony is wiggling in there too, right next to her feelings for Dean and she's not sure what to make of it all yet. “Please?” Tony asks her, she sighs and then nods. He grabs her hand and pulls her along this time.

…...............

Peter adjusts the cape behind Katherine who sighs a little pulling a curler out of her hair and setting it aside before reaching for the last one.

“This costume is ridiculous” she grumbles. Peter smirks a little. Tony had somehow talked Katherine into a female Dracula costume, caped mini-dress, fishnet stockings high heels, curly puffy hair with an added mask so she's hidden from prying eyes.

“I like it” he tells her; he's more comfortable around her now; the longer she goes without eating him the more comfortable he is around her, the more he sees Rhodey and Tony relaxed around her the more comfortable Peter is. And Peter's learnt that he likes Katherine. Her stories. The way she's taken to him too.

“What if someone recognises me?” she asks, Peter holds up the mask in his hands.

“That's what this is for” he holds it out to her, she sighs and takes it setting it over her eyes and face. Peter moves behind her and ties it against the back of her head. “Mr Stark's not going to let anything happen” Peter assures her. “Between you and me” Peter starts with a smile. “I think he likes you”

“We're friends so I hope he does” Katherine counters. Peter shakes his head.

“No” He argues. “Likes you likes you” Katherine turns to frowns at him. “You know...”

“No, I don't know, Peter” she comments. “What are you talking about?” Peter looks away and blushes slightly having maybe revealed too much.

“Rhodey said not to say anything” He mumbles moving to grab his own costume mask. “Come on” he pushes. “Tony said you can wear your fangs” Katherine sighs and then flashes her fangs at him. “It's Halloween, the one time of year you get to be a vampire without people realising you really are actually a vampire” he nudges her softly and she smiles a little.

“You two ready?” Rhodey asks leaning on his crutches in the doorway, he's dressed as a boxer, long shorts, fighter's robe and gloves slung around his neck. Peter and Katherine look to him. “Wow” Rhodey looks over Katherine as she stands, out of the chair Rhodey can see that it appears Katherine has all four limbs in tack and human looking. Tony. He programmed two Photostatic Veils to give the illusion that she doesn't have prosthetics, she looks like she would have before her accident all those years ago.

“They're not real” she is quick to tell Rhodey touching her leg. “Tony, he...he said it was better to hide them”

“It's just that they mark you as Winter Shadow, Katherine” Rhodey explains. “He's just trying to keep you safe; to keep you here” Katherine glances to Peter who looks away slightly.

“Because..” Katherine looks to Rhodey. “Because if people knew I was here....they'd lock me away, like they tried to Bucky?” she asks, Rhodey looks to her softly. “Because I am a bad person who did bad things and I should be punished....”

“No” Rhodey and Peter argue quickly.

“It wasn't you” Tony adds, the three of them turn to him as he lingers at the door in his 'costume'. “What you did...it wasn't your fault....” Rhodey looks surprised in the change in Tony, knowing the blame Tony put on Bucky for what happened to his parents.

“Where is your costume?” Katherine asks, Tony looks down at himself.

“I'm wearing it” he answers, she frowns at him. “I'm Bruce Wayne” she frowns deeper. “Batman's alter ego....” he explains. “We watched Batman” he reminds her. “You pointed out that we're basically the same person”

“Oh my god!” Peter startles, Katherine jumps slightly. “He is just like Bruce Wayne” he then touches his chest. “Am I your Dick Grayson?” Rhodey smirks amused.

“We're not having this conversation again” Tony offers. “We have a party to get to” he motions for them all. “Come on...” Peter and Rhodey leave first, Katherine lingering behind, Tony gives her a reassuring smile as she approaches him. “It's going to be fine” he tells her. “And you look amazing” he tells her playing with one of her curls. “I knew that costume was the one” she shakes her head a little, his eyes linger on her as she watches her arm. “Do you like them?” he asks. “The veils?” she lifts her eyes to his.

“It's...it's weird seeing them and feeling....feeling that they're still....”

“Yeah” he agrees, his little mind working away. “You ready?” he offers her his hand, she shakes her head but takes it. “It's just a few hours” she sighs and nods again.


	25. Chapter Twenty Four

Tony leans on the bar with his drink, his eyes on Katherine across from him stood looking out the window in front of her, she seems happy enough despite the situation, he turns away and orders a fresh drink from the bartender. Rhodey crutches his way across to his friend and leans heavily on the counter, the long night taking it's toll on his energy levels and his muscles, his arms are aching and sore and he's about ready to call it a night, but not before he makes sure Katherine is okay; the vampire has grown on him too.

“Tony, you need to talk to Katherine” Rhodey warns leaning against the bar. Tony raises an eyebrow.

“She's fine” Tony argues.

“No, she's not” Rhodey points out, Tony frowns and looks across at where Katherine was stood the last time he looked but she's gone. Rhodey motions across the room where Peter is now talking at Katherine's side trying to keep her present but he's already lost her. Her leg is jiggling, her arms wrapped around her stomach, her eyes wide and lost.

“Oh” Tony breaths and sets his drink down. “I'll go check on her” he walks away and towards Katherine.

…..............

Katherine looks up when Tony's shadow descends on her, she'd missed his scent because of everyone else's around her, on her, it's everywhere and she's choking on it.

“Come on” he tells her holding out his hand, she frowns at him. “Come with me” he offers. She takes his hand and lets him pull her to her feet and away from the crowds of people. He keeps her close as he weaves through his guests till he finds an empty corner. Katherine cowers almost against the wall and Tony finally gets how much of a bad idea this was. He reaches up and brushes her hair back behind her ear. “It's okay” he whispers knowing she can hear him. “You're doing great” her eyes shift to his, the veins under her eyes crawling under her skin. “Okay” Tony states more to himself. “Come on” he whispers softly taking her hand.

“Your party” she complains as he pulls her away from it, leading her out of the room.

“Screw it” he tells her pulling her closer to him. “You need me more” he offers warmly, she pulls her hand back and shakes her head.

“No” she whispers. “No, you go back....I'm just going to go to bed” she tells him walking away, leaving him standing there. He glances back towards the party before sighing. Any other party he would have been all for it, but recently, tonight, his attention is elsewhere.

….....................

Katherine sniffles pouring out the blood bag into the glass. Her emotions all over the place, stress level right up there at breaking point. And she doesn't want to break not here, not now, not after everything she's been through. Katherine looks up from her glass as her door opens. Tony gives her a small smile and shrugs stepping into the room.

“What are you doing here?” she asks looking away. “What about your party?”

“Honestly....I'd rather be here” he admits and closes the door behind him as he walks in to join her on the bed. “All those stuffy suits and journalists” he smirks and shrugs, they share a look.

“Why would you do that?” she asks him.

“You weren't having fun, I wasn't having fun.....” Tony answers and takes the blood bag from her, squeezes it empty into her glass for her. “We're friends” he offers. “This is what friends do” she watches him as he sets the now empty blood bag onto the side and then hands the glass to her with a smile. Warm and kind and not the Tony the world sees. She looks down and reaches for her arm, trying to find the device. “Let me” he offers taking her arm, his fingers feeling along it for the small veil device, he gently pries it from the metal of her arm and the illusion falls away, Katherine looks to her arm sadly as it returns to it's original form.

“It's hideous” she comments, Tony keeps a hold of her metal hand and sighs.

“It's part of you” he argues, she lifts her eyes to his. “And all of you is beautiful” he whispers, she stares at him a moment, he gives her a smile and motions for her leg. “Give” he smirks a little and she rolls her eyes and lets him pull her fake leg up to remove the veil from that too.

“I used to dance” she admits. “I was good at it” she reaches down for her leg as the illusion of flesh falls away. “Hydra took so much from me” Tony watches her sadly. “If it wasn't for them; Bucky and Steve would have come home.....and this” she knocks against her leg. “Would never have happened” she sighs a little and Tony lifts her chin so she's looking at him.

“You are free now” he assures her. “So you can dance again”

“I can't” she wraps her fingers around her leg. “My body is different; my leg....” she shakes her head. “I can't” she whispers closing her eyes. Tony presses his lips to hers and she opens her eyes again to look at him as he pulls back.

“Thought Hydra assassins were tenacious” he teases slightly, she can't smile back. “Katherine” he whispers using her full name. “It doesn't matter who you were” she frowns at him. “It doesn't matter what they did to you, what they created, who you were for them.....what matters is this” he touches her chest over her heart. “This person, right now sat with me....” his hand moves to her neck where he pulls her closer. “This woman who, despite trying to hide it, is kind, and caring, and yes, you brood and push us away but we see why you do it; because you don't want to hurt people; that doesn't make you the monster you think you are; and believe it or not we actually like you, all of us do even Vision” she brushes her hair behind her ear. “If you want to dance again” he starts. “Then we'll figure out a way for you to do that again” he strokes her cheek. She sighs and looks to him.

“Because we're friends?” she asks him, he smiles and shrugs.

“Maybe....a little more then friends” he admits.

“Tony, I'm not....” he stops her pressing his finger to her lips.

“Then...I'll wait” he offers. “Because you will be, one day....and I'm not gonna miss out on a chance here” she smiles a little against his finger, he pulls it back and kisses her forehead.

“I don't understand why you'd want to” she admits, he nods a little, understands where her low self confidence comes from, all the damage Hydra did.

“I know” he shrugs and nudges her. “Drink your blood” he pushes the glass closer to her, she sighs and lifts the glass to her lips.

….....

Tony reaches across for Katherine on the other side of her bed, his dream was.....different; yes, he's had dirty dreams before, about various women over the years but last night. His dream about Katherine was different; it wasn't about sex, the carnal aspect, it was.....affection. It was a real relationship. He turns finding the bed void of vampire.

“Katherine?” he asks leaning up to look around the rest of the room but it's empty too. She's not here. He throws the blanket aside and sits up to set his feet on the floor. Friday?” Tony starts. “Where is she?” he asks climbing out of Katherine's bed.

“In the courtyard” Friday answers. “With Secretary Ross” Tony snaps his head up.

“What? When did he get here?”

“About 20 minutes ago...” Friday answers. “Miss Barnes said she would deal with it”

“Of course she did” Tony argues pulling on his shoes. “She's going to kill him” he hurries out of the room.


	26. Chapter Twenty Five

Tony is almost out of breath when he reaches Katherine and Ross, stood in the courtyard facing one another. Tony had almost flat out ran to this scene. Granted it is a little less bloody then he imagined it to be.

“Ross” Tony greets moving to Katherine's side. “What are you doing here?”

“I was just leaving” Ross answers. “This lovely young lady was just telling me you would all be a little worse for wear after your evening of....festivities” Ross offers, Tony turns to Katherine who smiles sweetly at him; he's not sure what that means, but he's sure it's nothing good. “I was just telling her I'll return another day” Tony moves to Katherine's side.

“Yeah, it's probably for the best” Tony agrees. “I think I saw Rhodey in the hall just laying there on his face....Someone might have stolen his crutches” he turns to Katherine. “We should go drag him to bed...” She nods in agreement.

“We should” she voices turning to Ross, who nods and then walks away, he climbs into his car which then pulls away from a surprised Tony, Katherine turns and heads back towards the doors of the facility, Tony stares after the car as it leaves.

“You got him to go away without an argument” Tony mumbles amazed then turns to Katherine walking away. “Teach me” she chuckles. Tony hurries to catch up with her. “I'm serious...you have to teach me how to do that”

“It's natural talent” She counters, sharing a smile with him, though hers has a hint of deviousness to it, like she's done something she shouldn't have, Tony raises an eyebrow at her but doesn't call her on it....he never did like Ross.

…...........

Tony wraps his arm around Katherine's shoulders as the news on the tv starts, it's been three days since Ross left, three days of peace and then Tony got the text to turn on the news. He watches now as breaking news rolls across the bottom of the screen before panning up to reveal Secretary Ross stood at a podium in front of press.

“I am here to formerly announce that Sergeant Barnes has been acquitted of any and all charges against him” Ross announces, Katherine smirks. “And all outstanding warrants for his arrest and detainment will be dropped along with anyone that aided in his escape. Captain Rogers, Agent Romanoff, Agent Barton, Wanda Maximoff, Scott Lang and Sam Wilson are free to return to the Avengers Facility without fear of repercussions; I would also like to offer a heartfelt apology to each and every single one of them for the upset and upheaval caused; I would like to extend this to Agent Barton and Mr Lang's family who were robbed of fathers” Tony turns to Katherine.

“What did you do?” Tony asks her, she shrugs.

“I simply persuaded Ross that it was the best course of action now that he's seen the error of his way” she answers.

“Is it true?” Vision asks floating through the wall into the room, eyes wide with hope. “Wanda is free to return?”

“Yeah” Rhodey answers and smirks. “All of them are....” Rhodey looks to Katherine who smiles a little.

“I doubt Captain Rogers will return” Vision argues though. “It's not Ross' apology he is waiting for” Vision looks to Tony who is staring at Katherine, still trying to figure it out, how she did it.

“Katherine” Tony whispers, she turns to him. “How did you do that?” he asks her.

“I simply asked nicely” she answers.

“I don't believe that” he argues.

“You don't trust me?” she asks him, eyes turning hurt, he sighs and nods.

“I do” he assures her. “Of course I do” he repeats softer taking her hand.

“I thought you'd be happy” she admits. “I got you your team back” she points out and then stands. “Guess I was wrong” she adds and then walks away, Tony sighs and shakes his head before looking to Peter, Rhodey and Vision who are looking at him disappointedly.

…...............

Later, after Peter and Vision leave to go and collect Wanda, Rhodey smiles softly at Katherine as she sits at his side in the communal living room, she stares at him long enough that he grows uncomfortable.

“Kat?” he asks turning to her.

“I wanted to offer you something” Katherine tells Rhodey who raises an eyebrow back at her. “As a thank you; for how....understanding and welcoming you've been to me”

“You don't have to give me anything” Rhodey argues softly, actually touched that she would want to do something for him.

“I do” she counters. “Humans....I don't have the best record with them; but in the last couple of years there have been a few who have....started to change my view on the species” he smiles a little. “You are one of them...and I would like to put something right for you” he frowns at her. “I would like to give you my blood” she offers, Rhodey pulls a face and then shakes his head.

“No, you're alright, Katherine, you don't need to do that, at all”

“You miss understand” she sits next to him and takes a breath. “My blood has healing capabilities” she looks to him. “I am suggesting we rebreak your spine, and you drink my blood, doing so would completely erase that injury” he sits up taller now. “You could walk without the need of splints or crutches because there would be no....injury; it would be like it never happened”

“Katherine” he starts. “Are you actually suggesting...”

“That I could undo the damage Vision inadvertently caused?” she finishes and nods. “Yes but...” she starts seeing his eyes lighten. “It will be painful, I have to rebreak your spine in the exact same place, because my blood cannot heal what has already healed....”

“It would have to be fresh” Rhodey offers, she nods. He looks down processing, just the offer alone. “It would be best to talk with Helen” he mumbles, she frowns. “And to contact Strange”

“I don't know who they are” she admits, he looks to her.

“Not yet” he assures her. “They're doctors......with this being blood related I would have liked to turn to Banner but he's...who knows where he is...” he shrugs. “And we can't risk bringing in any outside doctor for this, I wouldn't even know where to start explaining”


	27. Chapter Twenty Six

****Katherine sits at a computer in Tony's lab, her fingers moving across the keyboard as she works. Eyes scanning and flickering over the screen, searching, seeking for what she wants. A small notification pops up and she starts to smile. She has her target.

….........

Katherine walks through the corridors in the dark, her bag in the crook of her arm, her outfit all black and warm, ready for her trip. She's nervous, she hasn't done anything like this since her Hydra days. Only hopefully this one is for the right reasons. She passes through the communal living room and just as she reaches the center the lights spring on, she turns to find Tony on the couch watching her.

“Where are you sneaking out to?” Tony asks as he stands, she glances to him and then shrugs.

“I urm need to go out” she explains, Tony raises an eyebrow. “If I'm allowed” she adds fiddling with her fingers. “I just need some time away”

“Away?” he asks stepping closer to her. “You want to leave?”

“Not forever” she answers. “I've been stuck here for months...I just want some....me time, to be in the middle of nowhere and hunt rabbits and deer”

“You're coming back though?” he asks her, she nods.

“Of course” she assures him, and he can see that she means it. “Just this weekend....”

“But if you're not back by Monday, I'm coming looking” he warns weakly, he hates the idea that she's leaving at all, his heart churning in his chest, nervous bubbling up in his stomach. 

“Promise?” she asks him, he smiles and nods.

“Take a quinjet” he offers. “Saves you the hassle of driving or...public flights”

“And they're also tracked, right?” she teases stepping closer to him, he shrugs.

“I'll turn it off” he whispers. “I don't want you to feel like you're a prisoner here” he offers looking up. “You're not, you haven't been for a while...especially now, after what you did with the team, with Rhodey....or what you will do for Rhodey”

“Least something good can come of this,” she tells him, her fingers reaching for him before she thinks better of it. “I'll see you later” she offers dropping her hand to her side, he nods.

“See you later” he counters and then watches as she walks away from him, a small bag hooked onto her arm, he sighs and closes his eyes before he slaps his own head. “Should have kissed her then, moron” he scolds himself turning and walking away. Suddenly worried that she might not come back after all.

…..................

Katherine shakes the snow from her hair as she steps into a little Mongolian tavern in the middle of nowhere. She takes a deep breath breathing in the scent of arkhi, khorkhog, and horse meat. It's not exactly the most fragrant of smells. The last time she was in Mongolia was for Hydra and she didn't stay long, she wishes she could stay here this time but she's on a mission. Her target sits at the back table, she can already tell, he stands out too much by not standing out. Katherine moves towards the bar at the far side of the bar, a few of the tables she passes have patrons sitting at them. They each look up at her as she passes by, she knows she stands out here. She leans on the bar and smiles at the bartender on the other side.

“Arkhi, tsever” she orders, he seems surprised by the Mongolian on her tongue but moves to get her drink. She uses the dirty mirror over the bar to watch the figure in the corner, scribbling away in a little journal, fingers stretching and curling to stave off the cold. The bartender sets a glass of vodka in front of her and she pays him before picking up the drink and knocking it back. It burns but only in the best way. She licks her lips and stands moving towards the table with her target. She glances to him, tries to make out his face but it's covered with a hood and scarf. “Dr. Banner?” she asks, he jerks his head up to look at her, his eyes shift around to look for her backup, they wouldn't just send one woman to take him back. “I'm here alone” she admits.

“That was a bad idea” he scolds slightly, she just smiles and shrugs.

“I can assure you there is nothing you can do to hurt me” she assures him, he searches her eyes before he reaches up and pulls away his scarf, revealing the beard beneath.

“What do you want?” he asks her.

“I was hoping I could convince you to return to New York with me”

“No” he shakes his head. “No, I can't...Ross, he'll...I'll be arrested, detained and whatever else he comes up with”

“Secretary Ross has dropped any and all accusations, warrants and searches for you,” she tells him, he looks at her like he doesn't believe her. “Here” she reaches into her jacket and pulls out a folded bit of paper which she holds out to him. He unfolds it and stares down at it, reading the words. She's right.

“How did you get him to do this?” he whispers.

“I'm very persuasive” she offers, Bruce smiles a little and shakes his head. “Will you come back?”

“No, I can't....” he argues. “It's too dangerous” she touches his arm.

“Dr. Banner” she whispers shifting to stand in front of him. “I know you're afraid. Of hurting someone. Of what's inside of you. I know”

“How could you?” he asks her, she sighs and then lets the veins creep up under her eyes as she stares at him.

“I know what it's like to live with a monster inside” she offers, he softens slightly. “I've been living with my slightly longer then you, so I can tell you, it gets better”

“Does it?” he whispers, she nods.

“With those that care about you around you” they share a look and he sighs.

“What if I hurt someone?” he asks her.

“I won't let you” she promises him, they share another look and his shoulders sag before he nods.

“What happened?” he asks sitting down. "What did I miss?"

“The Avengers, they....broke up” she explains.

“Broke up?” he asks her. “Like the Beatles?” she narrows her eyes a moment.

“I don't know who that is” she admits. “But...yes?” he raises an eyebrow. “Mistakes were made and consequences had....but I'm trying to put them all bring them all back together. Tony misses you all” he touches the table, dragging his finger over a gauge in the woodwork. “He misses you” she adds. Bruce turns to her.

“If I come back, I need to make sure that things are put in place...that people are protected from me,” he tells her.

“I'm sure they can work on that” she offers. “Whatever you need”

“Okay” he agrees with a firm nod. “Okay, I'll come back”

“Thank you” she touches his arm softly squeezing gently.

“Why are you doing this?” he asks her as they stand, he pulls his scarf back over his face. She pauses a little as she thinks then turns to him.

“If I tell you-you can't tell anyone else” she threatens, he nods and crosses his fingers over his heart, she sighs. “I love him” she admits. Says it out loud for the first time, admits it for the first time, and it feels like a weight has been lifted from her. Subconsciously, she's known for a while now, that everything she's feeling with Tony is just like with Dean. That Tony makes her feel as loved, as cared for, as special and safe as Dean did. She knows that she loves him. “I'm in love with Tony....but...”

“He's Tony” Bruce offers, she nods in agreement.

“And I'm....broken” she adds touching her arm. “In more ways than one” Bruce watches her with sad eyes and then nods a little. “So...” she clears her throat and looks away.

“I'm sorry” he whispers, she glances back to him. “For whatever you've been through” he adds. “But...broken implies that it can still be fixed”


	28. Chapter Twenty Seven

Bruce runs his fingers through his hair as he takes a seat on the quinjet, his eyes scanning around, it's only slightly different than the last one he was on, he takes a breath and looks back to Katherine as she walks onto the jet. He can't see how someone so nice ended up with Tony and the Avengers.

“How did you end up at the facility?” Bruce asks as Katherine approaches him, the jet doors closing behind her.

“I was looking for my brother” she admits, he raises an eyebrow at her, she shrugs. “Urm...Bucky Barnes” she adds, he frowns this time.

“Just how old are you?” he asks her, she shrugs again and smirks.

“Old enough” she answers.

“Was it cryo?” he asks as she sits next to him, she shakes her head.

“No, I've been awake the whole time” she answers.

“How did you do it?” he whispers. “How did you live through all of that and come out....” he looks to her. “Rather adjusted”

“That adjustment is recent” she admits. “I...” she sighs. “I was warped and twisted by Hydra for a very long time” he looks to her sadly. “I had some help coming back from that” she gives him a small smile. “Tony is part of it.....surprisingly” he nods.

“From what you told me about what's been going on, that is surprising”

“You mean because he tried to incarcerate my brother? Accidentally broke up the Avengers? And basically made everyone hate him?” she asks, he nods. “He did what he thought was best, he tried his best” she whispers and shrugs. “The things Hydra made.....” she lets out a breath. “It was still us at the end of the day”

“No, it wasn't” Bruce argues. “No one blames the gun when it goes off and hurts someone”

“A gun doesn't have free will” she counters.

“Neither did the victims of Hydra,” he tells her sternly. They share a look and she looks away first before standing and moving to the cockpit, she takes a breath and presses a few buttons on the dash.

“Engaging autopilot” Friday's voice states. “Home, Miss Barnes?” she asks, Katherine hums and nods.

“Thank you, Friday” she offers warmly moving back to sit with Bruce.

….............

Tony has never moved so fast as he did when he heard that Katherine's quinjet was landing. His little legs pushing him forward towards the hanger. Two days. Two days too long. He never doubted that she would come back. Something inside of him just knowing that she would. And here she is.

“Hey” Tony greets approaching Katherine as she leaves the jet, she smiles wider at him as she joins him. “Welcome back” he comments warmly.

“You didn't doubt me, did you?” she asks, he shakes his head.

“No, never” he assures her.

“I urm....got you something” she motions behind her. “A gift”

“More?” he asks. “I mean, what you did with Ross....”

“Well this is just an extension of that” she stops him. “I hope you like it” she whispers, he reaches for her hand and then pulls it back unsure of himself. He's spent the last two days thinking about her, he even slept in her bed without her there. His sleepless nights were back, his nightmares clawing at his mind. He's missed her. He's really missed her. There is movement behind her and he shifts his eyes. They widen slightly.

“Bruce?” Tony asks barely recognizing his friend. He looks to Katherine who smiles softly at him. “Bruce” Tony whispers realizing that he is actually here, he moves towards his friend as Katherine steps away from the jet.

“Katherine!” Peter yells running into the hanger. “Thank God you're back” She raises an eyebrow at him. “You were around in the 60s?” he asks, she hums and nods.

“I was” she answers.

“Good, good, I have a paper due and I need references, what better than someone who was there?” she smiles at him.

“If I can help you, Peter, I will” she assures him. Tony is still with Bruce.

“What is going on with your face?” Tony teases motioning over Bruce's face where his beard is, Bruce scratches at his face and smiles, realizing how much he has missed Tony. They share a look.

“Missed you too, Tony” Bruce counters with a smile.

“How are you here?” Tony asks. “What are you doing here?" he amends slightly. 

“Katherine” Bruce answers motioning to said woman. “She....found me in Mongolia”

“She's very persuasive, isn't she?” Tony asks Bruce as they both watch Katherine with Peter who waves his hands around talking to her. Bruce looks to his friend who's very much puppy dog eyeing the vampire.

“She's fond of you” Bruce offers, Tony looks to him as Bruce picks up his bag from behind him. “Very fond” he adds giving Tony a look.

“Really?” Tony asks, Bruce nods.

“But...” Bruce starts.

“Not even back an hour and you're already handing out the advice” Tony teases, Bruce shoots him a look.

“From what Katherine has told me it sounds like you all could have done with it” Bruce argues, Tony hums a little in agreement.

“Yeah, we made a bit of a mess” Tony agrees. “I'm working on it” he offers and then pauses. “She's working on it” he corrects.

“So I've heard” Bruce nods. “Did she really get Ross to drop everything?” he asks, Tony nods.

“Told you” Tony smirks. “She's persuasive”

“Tony” Bruce starts, and Tony can tell how serious Bruce is about to be, and he understands. “She's a deeply damaged young woman, even I can see that after an hour with her” Bruce adds. “If you plan on doing anything with the feelings between you the two of you, you need to be serious, she's not some girl you've picked up at a bar to...hump”

“Don't say hump” Tony scolds. “It's weird” Bruce sighs. “I know, Bruce” Tony assures him. “I know, I'm being good” Tony promises. “Why don't you kill that dead animal on your face and we'll have a drink” Bruce snorts and nods.

“Sure” Bruce agrees. “That sounds....great actually....but I might keep the beard” Tony pulls a face.

“Really?” He asks, Bruce sighs a little. “Your face I guess” Tony mumbles.


	29. Chapter Twenty Eight

Katherine already feels a little out of place. Within days of her returning with Bruce, more people started turning up at the facility but she avoids them, all her people anxiety rolling back into her. Tony's been busy with all the new arrivals and making sure the rooms are all up to scratch, papers to sign, etc, etc. So he's barely seen her. He collapses into her bed on a night and is awake and gone before she wakes. She misses him. She misses the companionship. She seeks him out, following his scent to find him. And she does find him. Along with everyone else. Well, the main new guys anyway, Peter's not here, neither is Rhodey or Bruce. She lingers in the doorway, unsure now. The redhead, Natasha turns to look at her, her eyes appraising and suspicious of the new face.

“Who the hell are you?” Natasha asks eyeing up Katherine who shifts slightly, very uncomfortable. Her eyes scan the others who have all turned to look at her, Tony smiles seeing her.

“It's because of her you're all allowed back” Vision points out looking down at Wanda who smiles up at him before looking to Katherine. Tony stands and motions for Katherine to come closer, she does so, but slowly, cautiously. Tony gently takes her wrist and pulls her closer.

“It's okay” he assures her, sets his hand on the small of her back, aware that she is currently uncomfortable being the center of attention.

“I'm Katherine” Katherine introduces. “Barnes”

“Barnes?” Natasha repeats turning to look at Tony. “Please tell me that it's a coincidence and that she is not related to Cap's friend” Tony clears his throat and rubs the back of his neck.

“She's his sister” he admits. “Twin sister” he adds.

“Tony” Natasha scolds.

“I came here of my volition” Katherine admits. “Sort of” she whispers remembering Sam's trickery at getting her here.

“No, It's okay, Kat” Tony stops her from standing up for him. “I know what they're thinking....and yeah, when I first found out who you were I did think of using you as bait to draw him out, but....” he catches her eye. “It different now” he admits and then gives her a smile. “We're friends”

“Do they know she's here?” Clint asks leaning on the back of the couch, Tony shakes his head.

“Not yet” he admits and then crosses his arms over his chest. “I do plan on making the call.....eventually”

“You need to call Steve” Clint points out. “Come on man, they need to know.....” he looks to Katherine. “I mean, how long's it been for you?” he asks.

“I don't really know” she answers. “I saw the Winter Soldier whilst I was with Hydra so...”

“That doesn't count” Natasha offers. “When was the last time you saw Bucky?”

“The 40's” Katherine answers, they all shoot Tony a look. “I need to eat so” Katherine mumbles. “I'll be in the kitchen” she turns and walks away from everyone, the attention too much now.

“Tony” Natasha starts, he groans. “What the hell are you playing at?” she asks him. “You have Barnes' twin sister shacked up with you, and she's what? Another Hydra asset?”

“He's in love with her” Bruce points out from the doorway, they all turn to him.

“Bruce” Natasha whispers.

“Hey, Nat” he greets back.

“Dude, what is that thing on your face?” Sam asks, Natasha rolls her eyes a little.

“It's a beard” Bruce argues.

“It's something dead” Sam counters teasingly. Bruce and Natasha share a look before Bruce turns and walks away, Natasha takes a breath before following him. Sam turns to Tony. “So infamous ladies man has taken the plunge?” Sam asks Tony who glares at him.

“Not the only one” Clint adds nodding to where Natasha and Bruce disappeared. Tony takes this shift in attention to slip away and find Katherine.

…...........

Katherine sits at the counter turning Tony's brooch around in her hand. Tony cocks his head watching her before he plops himself down next to her and raises an eyebrow.

“What are you doing?” he asks covering her hand trapping the brooch between their hands.

“Thinking” she answers. “Everything is going to change now” she points out. “They're not going to like me...”

“I like you” Tony assures her, she looks down. He brings her hand closer to his chest. “Hey” she looks to him. “What is wrong?”

“I thought it would be better” she admits. “That....” she shakes her head.

“Tell me” Tony pushes.

“I know you're mad” she points out. “I know that you have every right to be mad.....I just....want my brother back” Tony watches her sadly. “My friend....” she looks down.

“I will call them” Tony whispers, she looks to him. “I will” she half shrugs, not really believing him. She stands and turns to walk away, only to find Scott Lang standing watching them, he waves awkwardly at them.

“Hi, I'm Scott” Scott offers Katherine. “Antman”

“Ant...man” Katherine looks to Tony who nods. “Okay,” she looks back to Scott. “Katherine” she offers. “I'm a vampire” Scott laughs a little and then realizes that she might not actually be joking.

“Oh, you're not joking” Scott points out as he looks to Tony.

“Yeah, she's a vampire” Tony adds with a nod.

“They're real?” Scott asks, Tony and Katherine share a look, she rolls her eyes amused.

“I'm not having 'the talk' with him, with any of them....” she tells Tony as he stands from his seat. “That's on you” she turns and walks away, Tony smiles though and looks to Scott.

“It's a very long story” Tony points out patting Scott's shoulder. “How you settling?” he asks, Scott nods.

“Good, I mean, looking forward to seeing Cassie” he admits. “Been a while....” Tony nods understanding, a little. He's kind of missed having a full facility. 

"Tell you what" Tony starts thoughtfully. "Why don't we do an Avengers event" he adds. "Yeah, yeah, like a whole everyone thing....." he walks away talking to himself, Scott swings his arms at his side and nods. 

"Good talk," he tells himself. 


	30. Chapter Twenty Nine

Tony paces his own bedroom, the first time he's been in here for the last week, usually opting to sleep beside Katherine. He's missed her and it, mostly because he can't sleep alone. It's too difficult now. Christmas is three days away. Three days and he's struggled to find anything for Katherine. He knows she hates big, fancy, expensive gifts. That's not her. And she's not just another woman. It has to be the perfect gift. The perfect her gift. He takes a breath and nods a little, then snaps his head around to his desk. The realization of the perfect gift. He can do this. For her. He stands and moves towards the draw he's kept shut for almost two years. He will do this for her.

…...........

Tony watches Katherine, the morning sun on her skin, her eyes watching the tv. He likes seeing her like this. Before she is paranoid, before she goes back to being broody, before she retreats into herself because of the people in the facility. It's been a couple of months now. And she's getting better with the presence of the others. She and Bruce are close, his soft nature and calm words appeal to her. Natasha still keeps her distance, but Tony thinks that is from him and not so much Katherine. Scott, Clint, and Sam have been trying to get to know her, Sam understands her connection to his friend and he is trying to set up a bond. They've all been sworn to secrecy about Katherine, keeping her from Steve, only for now. Tony wants and has to be the one to tell him about Katherine, they all understand this. Katherine will be that bridge to bring Steve and Tony closer again. So they wait.

“So...” Tony starts, Katherine turns to him and raises an eyebrow. “I'm going to be gone a couple of days” Tony admits as she drinks her morning blood. “With the sanctions lifted there are a couple of diplomatic meetings I need to go to, make some deals, keep everyone happy”

“I didn't realize it would make so many...problems” she whispers, he shakes his head.

“No, you haven't” he assures her. “Everyone back together, the prospect of working together again, it's all good” she looks to him. “Katherine, do you have any idea what you have done for us?” he asks warmly, she shrugs a little. He kisses her cheek and then jumps up to get ready for his road trip.

…..........

Tony actually ends up at some little cafe in London, sat outside on a balcony, alone, waiting. He taps his fingers against the side of his coffee mug. He's nervous about this. Because this is for Katherine. It has to go right. He looks up hearing footsteps approaching him, eyes landing on the figure. He nods a little and then stands to greet Steve Rogers, cap on, sunglasses on, a little beard, it's working for him. Steve looks nervous and concerned about being here, Tony doesn't blame him.

“Steve” Tony greets.

“Tony” Steve counters, neither offer a hand, they're not ready for that.

“Sorry to call you out of the blue” Tony states sitting down again, Steve moves to the other side of the table and pulls out the seat.

“I was surprised actually, world's not ending....and yet you called”

“I did” Tony agrees. “And it's not”

“Why now?” Steve asks taking the seat, Tony shrugs drawing his finger over the top of the table.

“I have something for you” Tony admits. “For you and Barnes, for both of you”

“A bullet?” His companion asks. “Knife in the back?” Tony sighs and closes his eyes. For Katherine. For Katherine. He can tolerate this for Katherine.

“Can you not” Tony scolds opening his eyes. “Will you just come back?” he asks. “Or did you not see the news?”

“I saw it....figured it was some...trick till I got a call from Nat. How did you manage it?”

“New Avenger” Tony answers with a shrug. “She's good at persuasion, thinking of making her our PR agent”

“Sounds like she might be good at it, if she managed to get Ross to rescind like that, he worked very hard to tear the Avengers apart....” Tony smirks.

“Least you're not blaming me anymore” Tony points out. Steve turns to him and shrugs a little.

“I think I was more upset about the side you took”

“Look, he killed my mom” Tony reminds Steve. “But...Things are different now, I understand better about the whole....brainwashing thing”

“New girl?” Steve asks pulling his drink closer and takes a sip of the drink Tony had ordered him. Tony nods.

“She's amazing, she's really helped....” Steve raises an eyebrow and smirks.

“You sound almost like you love her” Steve points out taking a sip, Tony glances to him.

“I do” Tony admits. “I really do....” Steve seems surprised by the honesty. “Yeah, I'm trying this new thing too...honesty....”

“You're new friend behind that too?” Steve asks.

“She's still adjusting and she doesn't like lies, calls you out on them...then gets upset, everyone is miserable because she makes you feel like you've just kicked a puppy” Steve smirks. “So no lies” Tony offers and shrugs. “No more lies” he corrects himself.

“Wow” Steve nods a little. “I already like her” Tony bites the inside of his mouth because of the come back he had waiting on his tongue then.

“So will you come back?” he asks. “Bring your little friend too”

“I'll talk to him about it” Steve offers with a sigh. “Can't make any promises though”

“You should” Tony counters looking up. “You really need to see this”

“Just tell me” he argues, Tony shakes his head.

“No, I can't...you won't believe me” Tony counters, he shakes his head and sighs.

“Fine” he replies before standing. “See you around....” he comments and then walks away, Tony tilts his head slightly and then looks to his phone. he smiles seeing a photo from Peter of Katherine and Bruce sat talking with one another.

…..........

Steve crosses the street pulling his cap back into place as he walks away from the cafe. He takes a breath, thinking over everything Tony told him, whilst not an apology there was something about Tony, something new, something good. This new Avenger must really be getting to him. Is good for him. He believes that Tony has changed. So does Natasha and Sam. Bucky lingers slightly in the alleyway as Steve approaches, Bucky was his back up just in case, despite what Sam and Natasha have told them he is still not 100% convinced about any of this, but Steve's starting to see it.

“What did he want?” Bucky asks, Steve sighs a little.

“He says he has something for us”

“And the whole thing with that Ross guy?” Bucky asks.

“Genuine” Steve assures him. “There's this new girl or something, she's been helping to get everyone together....”

“And you're the last piece” Bucky points out. “I'm sorry, I'm keeping you from your friends”

“You are my friend too” Steve stops him. “And first, might I add”

“Yeah, and looks what I did” Bucky whispers rubbing his head.

“Look” Steve sighs. “We can stay gone” he offers. “If that's what you want, if that's what you need” Bucky bites his lip and shakes his head.

“No” he admits, Steve looks surprised. “No, it's Christmas” Bucky adds. “And he's offering an Olive branch....this is....” he smiles a little. “This is meant to happen, we're supposed to go back”

“Great” Tony states, Bucky and Steve jump and turn to find him smirking at them.

“You followed me?” Steve asks and then realizes. “Did you put a tracking device in my drink?” he asks, Tony shrugs.

“You have no idea what I will do to get you to come back with me,” Tony tells them. “This is...it's important that you do”


	31. Chapter Thirty

Tony sits across from Steve and Bucky on the flight back. All three men are quiet. It's more than a little awkward. But no shouting so it's counted as a win. Steve shifts in his seat and then looks at Tony who finishes up sending a text to Bruce. He's a little excited to be going back with the both of them. He honestly thought there was a higher chance of them not agreeing, he was surprised enough that Steve turned up at all. Tony slips his phone away and meets Steve's eyes. They share a look. Tension.

"So tell me about this new girl" Steve asks trying to resolve it.

"She turned up at the facility about..." Tony takes a breath. "Ooo seven months ago, she's former Hydra, like your friend" he nods to Bucky.

"She is?" Bucky asks. "What is her name?"

"I can't tell you" Tony answers.

"What happened to no more lies?" Steve asks leaning forward.

"Can't tell you about this" Tony answers. "You have to see for yourselves" Steve shoots him a look, Tony sighs. "Look, to be honest, you two are kind of my Christmas gift to her....you're like...important to her" Tony tells them with a shrug.

"That's a little weird" Steve points out.

"Not really" Tony counters. "Not if you knew her" he takes a breath. "Okay, so...In the name of good faith and new friendships" Tony looks to Bucky. "Tell me about you" Bucky frowns a little.

"Why?" Bucky asks, Tony shrugs.

"Curious...plus she says it's good to get to know the person behind the brainwashing" Steve smirks.

"Okay, I don't how you are, but I'd really like the old Tony back now" He teases.

"Will you just humor me" Tony counters.

"Urm well, okay" Bucky starts sharing a look with Steve who shrugs. "I was born March 10th, 1917, younger sister, Rebecca. Then there is the rest of the my triplet set"

"What?" Tony asks.

"Triplets" Bucky admits, Tony's eyes widen.

"There's three of you?" he asks.

"Me and my sisters, Katherine and Elena, they're identical"

"Identical" Tony whispers, his eyes widening slightly. Two of them. He falls silent to ponder that. Katherine has never mentioned a sister, a identical one at that. It's a big deal. He gets him wondering about her memories. Bucky and Steve share a look, Steve shrugs again, he doesn't know what's going on with Tony.

............

Bucky and Steve follow Tony through the facility, it's been redecorated since Steve was last here. Softer colours. He likes it. It's warmer. Homely. Tony leans in the doorway ahead of them, his eyes instantly on Katherine. He can't imagine their being two of her. Two identical hers. He glances to Steve and Bucky as they step to his side.

"That" Tony points at Katherine. "Is our newest member" he glances to Steve and Bucky watching them as realization hits them, recognition and pain crossing Bucky's face.

"Kitty" Bucky whispers seeing her sat with Peter across the room. Katherine looks up hearing him, her eyes meeting his.

"Bucky" she whispers standing from her seat. She's in front of him and wrapping her arms around his neck faster than he can blink. But he doesn't care. His pulls her closer, lifting her up off her feet to hug her. Steve watches them, his eyes welling. He got Bucky back but he never thought he'd get to see Katherine again. He clutches to her tightly. Almost too tight but he doesn't care. 70 years since the last time Bucky and Katherine saw one another. Bucky pulls back and smiles at her warmly, she smiles back and then looks to Steve as he steps closer. "Hey, Steve" she greets, he smiles and touches her shoulder, checking she's there and then he pulls her into a hug, wrapping his arms around her tightly.

"Katherine" he whispers warmly. Bucky's eyes linger on her gloved hand when she pulls away from Steve, Bucky reaches for it, Katherine pulls away, stepping back and hiding her arm behind her back. She gives him a small nervous smile.

"Let me see" Bucky whispers stepping closer to her. "Katherine" he warns when she tries to step back. "Let me see" she takes a deep breath and holds out her hand, he grabs her wrist to hold her still. Bucky pulls her glove off to reveal her artificial hand, his eyes darken, his anger is boiling in him, thinking that her arm is a product of Hydra.

"It was an accident" she whispers.

"Did they do this?" he asks her. "Did they stick this thing on you?" she cocks her head, her eyes tracing over his own arm.

"Yeah, but....It was bad, what happened, and it was all my fault..."

"What did happen?" Steve asks her.

"Car crash" she answers. "Followed by a coma...my arm was...basically dead when Hydra got to me...so they....replaced it"

"Car crash" Steve whispers.

"About two years...after you two disappeared, I urm...didn't cope very well" Bucky takes her flesh hand and squeezes softly. She turns to Bucky and bites her lip. "Do you remember...?" she starts, Bucky nods.

"I remember a lot" he admits. "Not everything, but a lot....I remember us in Hydra..."

"Fighting" she finishes.

"Yeah" he answers. "Yeah, I remember that....but...I wasn't...me, Kitty, it wasn't me"

"I know that, silly" she argues. "It's okay" he smiles at her and nods a little. "That time I stabbed you.." she starts, he chuckles a little and nods.

"I know it wasn't you too" he assures her.

"I knew I recognised you" Natasha accuses walking towards them, Katherine frowns. "I remember you"

"I don't remember you" Katherine tells Natasha.

"Well I remember you"

"No, I mean we haven't met" Katherine argues. "I have all my memories, we've never met"

"I know who I met" Natasha steps closer.

"Wasn't me" Katherine growls a little.

"Alright" Tony steps between the two of them. "If she says it wasn't her, it wasn't" Natasha shoots Tony a look.

"She was at the Red Room, she trained us..."

"Ooohhh" Katherine states, Tony turns to her. "Yeah, that...that wasn't....me but it was another Winter's Shadow" she admits and then sighs closing her eyes. "Yeah, that...was Elena"

"What?" Bucky asks stepping closer. "You were both with Hydra?"

"Yeah" Katherine nods and looks to him. "Yeah, we were...."

"Where is she?" Bucky asks. "Where's our sister?"

"I have no idea" Katherine shrugs. "I left 6 years ago, last I heard she was....doing some undercover thing in Japan"

"You didn't think to help her?" Steve asks, Katherine glances to him.

"Of course your more pressing concern will be for Princess Elena" she comments, Steve pulls back at the venom in her voice. Whilst Katherine and Elena never really got along back in the day, they shared a sibling bond that usually over rode that.

"Katherine" Bucky warns, she glances to him.

"Look, it wasn't easy for me to get out" she explains. "If I had waited for her I'd still be there...And before either of you ask. I am not going back"

"No one is asking you to do that" Tony assures her. "This was supposed to be a happy thing" he grumbles.

"This was your doing?" she asks him, Tony opens his mouth.

"You said you missed them" he answers.

"I did. Not so much any more" she counters and then turns, vamp-speeding away from them and out of the room. Tony turns back to Steve and Bucky. 

"All she's talked about is how much she's missed you both, how much she wanted to see you again. You don't think the questions could have waited" Tony shakes his head.

"It was just a shock" Bucky counters. "Her being here and then...the stuff with Elena"

"Maybe, for now, concentrate on the sister you do have back" Tony scolds and walks away to look for Katherine, Bucky looks to Steve who sighs and nods. Understands Tony's upset giving his statements about this 'new girl', of course that all applies to Katherine. Steve pulls a face.

"What?" Bucky asks, Steve wrinkles his nose.

"Remember when I told you that Tony said he was in love with the new girl" Steve comments. Bucky nods, Steve shoots him a look.

"Oh!" Bucky figures it out. "Oh! Ew! Ew..." he cringes and shakes his head. "Well that is **not** going to happen" Bucky points out, Steve smirks.

"Not even five minutes and you're already ready to reign in her skirt" Steve teases nudging him.

"Hey, I remember just how bad Katherine was with her ability to keep things...." Bucky pulls a face. "She had her way with men" Steve hums a little.

"I am glad she's here" Steve admits. "And alive.....despite how we made it sound"

"Yeah" Bucky sighs. "I'm going to go find her, think it's okay if I wander about?" Steve nods.

"Yeah, peace all round and stuff" Bucky snorts walking away. Natasha and Steve share a look.

"So you've met the new Tony" Natasha states.

"It's terrifying" Steve admits, Natasha smirks and motions for him closer, Steve pulls her into a hug.


	32. Chapter Thirty One

Katherine sits on her bed, her hands resting in her lap as she stares at the wall across from her. Tony leans in the doorway watching her a moment, can see that this reunion didn't go the way she expected, it didn't go the way she expected either. She just wanted her brother back, but of course, she's not the sister he wanted. She reaches up and brushes the back of her hand over her cheek. Tony sighs a little. He was trying to be the good guy, to show her that he could put her first. He thought he was doing a nice thing.

“You okay there, Dracula?” Tony asks, Katherine nods pulling her sleeve down her arm.

“Yep,” she answers not looking at him. Tony closes the door a little, leaving it open only a little, before he approaches her.

“I am sorry,” Tony tells her. “I just...wanted to do something nice” he admits, she looks at him as he takes a seat at her side on the bed.

“You did” she counters. “I thought it would have been better....gone better.....I should have known better. Elena was always the favorite one” Katherine admits quietly. “She was the one that everyone loved” Tony brushes her hair back away from her face. “She's the one that boys wanted to be with....” Bucky lingers outside of her room listening. “Even Bucky liked her better” Katherine states sadly.

“I'm sure he loved you both equally” Tony counters.

“No” Katherine states. “You don't know what it's like....” her fingers whirl a little as she clenches her fist. “My whole human life was spent trying to be better, to do better....but nothing I did was ever good enough when Princess Elena was around” Tony touches her arm and threads his fingers with hers. “I was Hydra's favorite” she admits. “Their first choice...for the first time ever someone preferred me over her” she snorts and shakes her head. “How pathetic is that? That the only people that appreciated me were evil sadistic monsters...Elena was the smarter one, the prettier one, the nicer one....she was the one that boys wanted for relationships, and I was the one that.....” she looks at him. “That wasn't....” Tony brushes tears from her cheek. “So I....adapted, became what they all thought anyway...I partied and drank and slept around....” she looks away and sighs. “Tony, I'm really not in the mood for any company....even yours” he touches her arm and then kisses her head.

“I'm not going anywhere” he whispers. “You don't need to be alone....” she looks back at him. He pulls her closer letting her curl into his side wrapping his arm around her. Bucky closes his eyes leaning back against the wall. Katherine never said anything. But he should have known. He just put it down to Katherine acting out, about being that way because that's who she was. But he didn't know her at all.

….........

Katherine avoids again. She basically locks herself in her room or spends time in the labs with Tony and Bruce. She can't face Steve and Bucky again. Tony had set up a small living area in the labs for her. A couch, table, and a tv, just for her, just to keep her comfy. Tony moves towards the couch now where Katherine is curled up with a blanket watching some spaghetti western. She looks tired, emotionally drained.

“Here” Tony hands over a long box to Katherine who frowns a little, he pushes a little more. “It's for you,” he tells her.

“I thought we agreed no more gifts”

“You liked the brooch” he points out nodding to said brooch on her shirt. She closes her book and sets it aside before she takes the box and opens it. Her breath catches. Her heart pounding in her ears. “Merry Christmas” he whispers warmly. Her eyes are on the item in the box. It's an arm. There is an arm in the box.

“What is this?” she whispers lifting her eyes to his.

“Exactly what it looks like” he answers her dropping into the space at her side. Katherine lets her fingers trace over the artificial arm, feeling the fake flesh that covers it, it almost feels human.

“Is this...?” she whispers, he brushes her hair over her shoulder.

“For you” he assures her. “To replace that fossil hanging off your elbow” she takes a shaky breath as she looks to him, he smiles. “I've been working on it for a while, I thought...you know, you might like it” she nods.

“I do” she whispers looking back down at the arm. “I do like it....”

“I think we can put it on in the next few days” he admits. “I called a colleague that's going to come in to help me with it....and Bruce said he'll be there too if you want him to be?” she nods and smiles. She can't believe he did this for her. She closes the box and holds it to her chest. He did this for her. After getting Steve and Bucky back, letting them back into the facility he still did this. For her. She looks to him, Tony gives her a warm smile.

…..............

Katherine leaves the labs with her gift box, holding it close to her, she glances around trying to avoid Bucky or Steve. She just needs to back to her room. She turns a corner and sighs, Bucky stands in the doorway to the living room, waiting for her, he glances up hearing her and offers her a small smile.

“Can we talk?” Bucky asks her, Katherine shrugs a little clutching her gift close to her chest. “I wanted to say sorry,” he tells her softly. “For how I reacted, it was....uncalled for, you deserved better from me. I am glad you are here” he assures her. “And I'm sorry if you felt like I didn't care” her lip trembles a little with her emotions. “Seeing you again, alive...I am so happy, Katherine...” she looks away from him. “I heard you talking with Stark the other day, when you...” he looks down. “I had no idea you felt that way”

“Why would you?” she asks, he looks up at her sadly.

“You could have told me....” he argues.

“Bucky, you are my brother, but talking to you about something like that, knowing that you and everyone else...liked her more, it wasn't going to fix anything...it was going to make it worse. So I just....gave everyone what they wanted....the screw up” he shakes his head.

“Katherine, you were not a screw-up....” he argues firmly. “You were smart, beautiful, funny....men fought over you”

“Yeah, to have sex with me not to be with me....” she counters. “Not when they could be with her, she was the one men wanted to marry...I was the one they wanted to get their leg over” Bucky cringes a little at the term. “What were you going to say to make any of that better?”

“I would have tried,” he tells her.

“It doesn't matter now” she states and shrugs. “None of it matters”

“Of course it matters,” Bucky tells her. “It still matters” he adds. “I'm sorry I was such a terrible brother” she sighs a little and shrugs, she doesn't really see it that way. She understands that with the three of them, there was always going to be an odd one out, she was it. They both stand there in silence. He breaks it first. “So you and Stark?” Bucky asks. “What's going on there?”

“We're friends” Katherine answers, he raises an eyebrow. “I...” she sighs and then shrugs. “I...have strong affectionate feelings for him”

“Is he the first since you left Hydra?”

“No” she shakes her head smiling. “Not the first....” she whispers thinking about Dean. “But I really do like Tony” she admits softly. “He makes me feel better about what and who I am”

“Speaking of what you are” he starts. “Something you said to him....you said back during your....'human life'” she nods.

“Hydra changed me, right down to my species.....they turned me into a vampire” she admits, he blinks at her. “Yes, they're real” she adds quietly. “It's why I'm still young, it's why me and Elena are still us, sort of” she shrugs. “They saved my life, Bucky, I know they did some terrible, terrible things, and I know we were all part of it....but they saved me” he sighs a little. “I hate them....and I'm grateful” he nods a little and touches her arm, feeling the ridges of her prosthetic under her sleeve.

“Can I hug you?” he whispers. “I'd really like to hug my sister” he adds, she nods. He pulls her closer and wraps his arms around her tightly. Katherine relaxes into it, resting her head against his shoulder.


End file.
